A client reports right ear hearing loss. When performing a Weber test, the client hears the sound better with the right ear. Which condition would the nurse suspect?

A client reports right ear hearing loss. When performing a Weber test, the client hears the sound better with the right ear. Which condition would the nurse suspect?

• A. Conduction hearing loss in the right ear
• B. Sensorineural hearing loss in the right ear
• C. Normal hearing in both ears
• D. Mixed hearing loss

Answer: (A)

A Weber test compares bone-conducted sound in both ears to help distinguish conductive from sensorineural hearing loss. When the tuning fork is placed on the midline, where the sound lateralizes tells you which ear is affected. If the sound is heard louder in the ear with a suspected problem, that points to a conductive issue there because outer or middle-ear problems reduce air conduction, making bone-conducted vibration feel louder in that ear. If the sound lateralizes to the opposite ear, that suggests a sensorineural loss in the other ear since the damaged inner-ear or nerve pathways diminish perception there. In this scenario, the client reports right-ear hearing loss and the Weber test sound is louder in the right ear. That pattern indicates conductive hearing loss in the right ear. This aligns with causes like earwax blockage, otitis media with effusion, or otosclerosis. Further testing, such as a Rinne test and audiometry, would help confirm and characterize the loss.

A Weber test compares bone-conducted sound in both ears to help distinguish conductive from sensorineural hearing loss. When the tuning fork is placed on the midline, where the sound lateralizes tells you which ear is affected. If the sound is heard louder in the ear with a suspected problem, that points to a conductive issue there because outer or middle-ear problems reduce air conduction, making bone-conducted vibration feel louder in that ear. If the sound lateralizes to the opposite ear, that suggests a sensorineural loss in the other ear since the damaged inner-ear or nerve pathways diminish perception there.

In this scenario, the client reports right-ear hearing loss and the Weber test sound is louder in the right ear. That pattern indicates conductive hearing loss in the right ear. This aligns with causes like earwax blockage, otitis media with effusion, or otosclerosis. Further testing, such as a Rinne test and audiometry, would help confirm and characterize the loss.