Measuring hearing loss is more technical than it might at first seem. You can probably hear certain things clearly at lower volumes but not others. Most letters may sound clear at any volume but others, like “s” and “b” may get lost. When you figure out how to understand your hearing test it becomes clearer why your hearing seems “inconsistent”. Because simply turning up the volume isn’t enough.
When I get my audiogram, how do I interpret it?
An audiogram is a type of hearing test that hearing professionals utilize to determine how you hear. It would be great if it looked as simple as a scale from one to ten, but regrettably, that isn’t the situation.
Rather, it’s printed on a graph, which is why many people find it challenging. But if you understand what you’re looking at, you too can interpret the results of your audiogram.
Deciphering the volume portion of your audiogram
The volume in Decibels is listed on the left side of the graph (from 0 dB to about 120 dB). The higher the number, the louder the sound must be for you to hear it.
If you’re unable to hear any sound until it is around 30 dB then you have mild hearing loss which is a loss of sound between 26 and 45 dB. You’re dealing with moderate hearing loss if your hearing starts at 45-65 dB. If you start hearing at between 66 and 85 dB then it indicates you have severe hearing loss. If you are unable to hear sound until it gets up to 90 dB or more (louder than the volume of a running lawnmower), it means that you’re dealing with profound hearing loss.
Reading frequency on a hearing test
Volume’s not the only thing you hear. You can also hear different frequencies or pitches of sound. Frequencies help you differentiate between types of sounds, and this includes the letters of the alphabet.
Frequencies that a human ear can hear, from 125 (lower than a bullfrog) to 8000 (higher than a cricket), are typically listed along the bottom of the graph.
We will test how well you hear frequencies in between and can then diagram them on the graph.
So, for instance, if you’re dealing with high-frequency hearing loss, in order for you to hear a high-frequency sound it may have to be at least 60 dB (which is around the volume of a raised, but not yelling, voice). The chart will plot the volumes that the various frequencies will need to reach before you’re able to hear them.
Why tracking both volume and frequency is so important
Now that you understand how to interpret your audiogram, let’s take a look at what those results might mean for you in the real world. Here are some sounds that would be more difficult to hear if you have the very common form of high frequency hearing loss:
- Music
- Beeps, dings, and timers
- Birds
- Whispers, even if hearing volume is good
- Higher pitched voices like women and children tend to have
- “F”, “H”, “S”
Certain specific frequencies may be harder for somebody who has high frequency hearing loss to hear, even within the higher frequency range.
Inside of your inner ear you have very small hair-like nerve cells that move with sounds. If the cells that detect a certain frequency become damaged and eventually die, you lose your ability to hear that frequency at lower volumes. If all of the cells that detect that frequency are damaged, then you completely lose your ability to hear that frequency regardless of volume.
This type of hearing loss can make some communications with friends and family very aggravating. You might have trouble only hearing certain frequencies, but your family members may assume they have to yell to be heard at all. And higher frequency sounds, like your sister speaking to you, often get drowned out by background noise for individuals with this kind of hearing loss.
We can utilize the hearing test to personalize hearing solutions
We will be able to custom tune a hearing aid for your particular hearing needs once we’re able to comprehend which frequencies you’re having trouble hearing. Modern hearing aids have the ability to recognize precisely what frequencies go into the microphone. The hearing aid can be programmed to boost whatever frequency you’re having trouble hearing. Or it can use its frequency compression feature to change the frequency to one you can better hear. Additionally, they can enhance your ability to process background noise.
This creates a smoother more natural hearing experience for the hearing aid user because rather than simply making everything louder, it’s meeting your personal hearing needs.
Make an appointment for a hearing test today if you think you might be dealing with hearing loss. We can help.