Why do hearing test results change from test to test?
The auditory system has normal moment to moment fluctuations in a plus/minus 5 dB range, which means changes of as much as 10 dB between test would be considered normal. Headphone placement can often contribute to the change in hearing results just by their different location on the ears from test to test. Many factors influence the person’s auditory attention both physiologically and environmentally. If a person has a conductive hearing loss, they can usually expect changes in pattern and level from test to test both upward and downward especially during medical treatment. It is less likely to happen with sensorineural hearing problems, but it can occur both upward and downward. The sensorineural hearing problems typically show a gradual worsening of hearing with time.
