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Hum Test

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Hum Test

  • See Also
  1. Hearing Test
  2. Audiogram
  3. Hearing Loss
  4. Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss
  • Indications
  1. Acute unilateral Hearing Loss
    1. Triage nurse evaluation for Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSHNL) within last 72 hours
  • Technique
  1. Patient hums and detects in which ear they hear the sound
  • Interpretation
  1. Hum Test lateralizes to the good, unaffected ear suggests Sensorineural Hearing Loss
    1. Requires immediate evaluation for Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSHNL)
  2. Hum Test lateralizes to the bad, affected ear suggests Conductive Hearing Loss
    1. Routine evaluation is appropriate
  • Background
  1. Conductive Hearing Loss can be simulated by occluding one ear at a time with a finger, and humming
  • References
  1. Ahmed (2018) Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 127(6):402-5 +PMID: 29776326 [PubMed]