How is a positive result interpreted in a Bing test?

In the Bing test, a positive result is one where the patient perceives a louder sound when the ear canal is occluded compared to when it is open. This response indicates that the patient likely has normal hearing or a sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). The mechanism behind this is that occluding the ear enhances the perception of sound by increasing the intensity of bone-conducted sound. Thus, the patient's ability to perceive the sound as louder suggests that there is no significant conductive hearing loss that would dampen this effect.

The other options do not accurately reflect the nature of a positive Bing test result. If a patient hears sound equally in both ears, it doesn't specifically indicate the type of hearing loss they might have, nor does it confirm normal hearing. Experiencing no sound changes would suggest a different outcome, typically associated with a negative result indicative of conductive hearing loss. Lastly, simply reporting hearing loss in one ear does not provide enough information to interpret the result of the Bing test specifically; this would require further examination beyond the scope of the test itself.