When is masking required during a hearing test?

Masking is required during a hearing test when there is a significant air-bone gap. This situation indicates that there is a difference between air conduction (AC) and bone conduction (BC) thresholds, which suggests that one ear might be hearing differently than the other. Specifically, if the air conduction threshold is significantly poorer than the bone conduction threshold, there's a risk that the sound could cross over to the better ear during testing, leading to inaccurate results.

In cases of significant air-bone gaps, masking ensures that the test only evaluates the ear being tested, preventing the non-test ear from affecting the thresholds being measured. This is crucial for obtaining accurate audiometric results and for making appropriate recommendations for hearing aids, further testing, or other interventions. The presence of an air-bone gap can hint at issues like conductive hearing loss, which need to be properly assessed to determine suitable treatments.