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ENT examinations: Audimetry

Your hearing has been examined.

The ear is a sensory organ that is used to hear and to maintain one's balance. There are 3 different areas in the ear: the outer ear, middle ear and inner ear.

The actual hearing organ, the cochlea, is in the inner ear. The cochlea consists of a bony channel that twists like a snail. Inside the cochlea are the sensory cells for hearing. The inner ear connects to the brain via the auditory nerve. Noise and sounds from the environment reach our ears as sound waves. When the sound waves meet the eardrum, they make it vibrate. These vibrations are transmitted via the ossicles to the cochlea, getting amplified in the process. In the cochlea the sensory cells convert the vibrations to electrical signals. These signals then pass via the auditory nerve to the brain, where they are perceived and processed.

There are different methods of examining hearing ability. This involves testing how good one’s hearing is, as a whole or in particular areas. For example, it tests whether someone can hear lower-pitched sounds better than high-pitched sounds.

Additional indicator

If necessary, additional letters are appended to OPS codes to indicate which side of the body is affected.

  • L: Left
  • R: Right
  • B: Both sides

Further information

Note

Your doctor will assist you with any health-related questions and explain the OPS code to you in a direct consultation if necessary.

Source

Provided by the non-profit organization “Was hab’ ich?” gemeinnützige GmbH on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG).