Weber test
System: General & Eye–Ear Signs · All general & eye–ear signs
What it is — and how it is elicited
A vibrating tuning fork placed on the centre of the forehead or front teeth is heard louder in one ear: louder in the affected ear in conductive hearing loss, and louder in the good ear in nerve (sensorineural) loss.
What a positive finding suggests
Used with the Rinne test to help distinguish conductive from sensorineural hearing loss.
◈ Behind the name
Ernst Heinrich Weber (1795–1878), German physician and physiologist.
Related signs — General & Eye–Ear Signs
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Please note: This page is an educational reference about clinical examination signs. A clinical sign supports — and never replaces — a full clinical evaluation, examination and appropriate testing. A sign being present does not by itself prove a diagnosis, and an absent sign does not rule one out. If you have symptoms that worry you, see a health professional.