Tinnitus is the perception of sound when no external noise is present. It may sound like hissing, buzzing, pulsing or insects like cicadas. This unwanted sound can occur in one or both ears. While the cause is often unknown, tinnitus is common with hearing loss or excessive noise exposure. It can also signal another underlying condition that may need medical ...

Speech-in-noise (SIN) testing assesses your ability to understand speech in background noise. You’ll listen to a recording of a person speaking a sentence while background voices get louder with each new sentence. Your task is to repeat the words you hear. This test helps the audiologist evaluate how well you can hear and understand speech in noisy environments, which can ...

Videonystagmography (VNG) is a test that helps identify causes of dizziness. It has three parts: You’ll track a moving target on a TV screen. Your head and body will be moved into different positions to see if they trigger symptoms. A probe will be placed in your ear to release cool or warm air, triggering a spinning sensation. Goggles will ...

Tympanometry, or a tympanogram, is a test that checks how your eardrum and middle ear are working. Audiologists use this test to check for middle ear fluid, a hole in your eardrum or Eustachian tube problems. During the test, you will need to stay still. The audiologist will place a small probe in your ear canal and change the pressure ...