Bone versus air conduction plots distinguish outer-ear from inner-ear hearing loss

Evidence

The audiogram in the lower left position shows a con­ ductive hearing loss in the left ear because the bone conduction plot is normal, but the air conduction plot shows a significant hearing loss that would be termed a “moderate hearing loss” (see Table 7.1). This indicates a problem between the outside world and the inner ear, and a hearing aid, tailored to the audiogram, could be used to correct for the air conduction loss. — David Howard, Jamie Angus, coustics and Psychoacoustics, 2350

Categorization

• DEFINE: Defines conductive hearing loss precisely: normal bone conduction with impaired air conduction localizes the problem to the outer/middle ear.