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If a patient reports better hearing during a Weber test in the right ear, what is the likely diagnosis?
Left side conductive hearing loss.
Left side sensorineural hearing loss.
Bilateral conductive hearing loss.
Bilateral sensorineural hearing loss.
The correct answer is: Left side sensorineural hearing loss.
When a patient demonstrates better hearing in one ear during a Weber test, it can indicate the type of hearing loss present. In this case, if the patient hears better in the right ear, it suggests that the sound is lateralizing to the right ear. In cases of conductive hearing loss, sound is transmitted more effectively in the affected ear as background noise is diminished. Therefore, if there was a left-sided conductive hearing loss, the sound would lateralize to the left ear due to this better conduction. Conversely, if there is a right-sided conductive hearing loss, the sound would lateralize to the left ear as the sound is more effectively heard there. When sensorineural hearing loss is present, sound will lateralize to the better hearing ear. So if the right ear is perceived to hear better during the Weber test, this scenario typically indicates that the left ear has a sensorineural hearing loss. Thus, the patient’s report of better hearing in the right ear during the test strongly suggests that the likely diagnosis is left-sided sensorineural hearing loss. This understanding helps clarify not only the result of the Weber test but also the underlying mechanisms of hearing loss types.