Schwabach test

The Schwabach test is a tuning-fork test used in audiometry to qualitatively assess hearing loss. It helps differentiate between sensorineural hearing loss and conductive hearing loss by comparing how long an individual can hear a bone-conducted tuning fork sound versus how long an examiner with normal hearing can. If the individual cannot hear the sound as long as the examiner, it suggests a sensorineural impairment. Conversely, if the individual hears the tuning fork longer than the examiner, it indicates a conductive hearing loss, as the conductive lesion excludes ambient noise that would otherwise mask the sound. This test is part of a broader category of hearing tests that utilize tuning forks to evaluate the ear's ability to conduct sound.1