It might seem, at first, like measuring hearing loss would be easy. If you’re suffering from hearing loss, you can probably hear certain things clearly at a lower volume, but not others. You might confuse certain letters like “S” or “B”, but hear other letters just fine at any volume. When you figure out how to understand your hearing test it becomes more obvious why your hearing is “inconsistent”. Because simply turning up the volume isn’t enough.
How do I read the results of my audiogram?
Hearing professionals will be able to determine the state of your hearing by using this type of hearing test. It won’t look as basic as a scale from one to ten. (Wouldn’t it be wonderful if it did!)
Many individuals find the graph format complicated at first. But you too can interpret a hearing test if you know what you’re looking at.
Deciphering the volume portion of your hearing test
The volume in Decibels is listed on the left side of the chart (from 0 dB to around 120 dB). The higher the number, the louder the sound needs to be for you to be able to hear it.
A loss of volume between 26 dB and 45 dB points to mild hearing loss. If hearing starts at 45-65 dB then you have moderate hearing loss. Hearing loss is severe if your hearing begins at 66-85 dB. Profound hearing loss means that you’re unable to hear until the volume reaches 90 dB or more, which is louder than a lawnmower.
The frequency section of your audiogram
Volume isn’t the only thing you hear. You hear sound at varied frequencies, commonly known as pitches in music. Different types of sounds, including letters of the alphabet, are differentiated by frequency or pitch.
Along the bottom of the graph, you’ll generally find frequencies that a human ear can hear, going from a low frequency of 125 (deeper than a bullfrog) to a high frequency of 8000 (higher than a cricket)
We will check how well you’re able to hear frequencies in between and can then plot them on the graph.
So, for instance, if you have high-frequency hearing loss, in order for you to hear a high-frequency sound it might 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 different frequencies will need to reach before you can hear them.
Why measuring both volume and frequency is so important
So in the real world, what might the results of this test mean for you? High-frequency hearing loss, which is a very common form of loss would make it more difficult to hear or comprehend:
- “F”, “H”, “S”
- Birds
- Music
- Women and children who tend to have higher-pitched voices
- Beeps, dings, and timers
- Whispers, even if hearing volume is good
While a person who has high-frequency hearing loss has more difficulty with high-frequency sounds, some frequencies might seem easier to hear than others.
Inside of your inner ear you have very small hair-like nerve cells that vibrate with sounds. You lose the ability to hear in any frequencies which the corresponding hair cells that pick up those frequencies have become damaged and died. You will completely lose your ability to hear any frequencies that have lost all of the related hair cells.
Interacting with others can become very aggravating if you’re suffering from this type of hearing loss. You might have trouble only hearing some frequencies, but your family members may assume they have to yell to be heard at all. On top of that, those who have this kind of hearing loss find background noise overpowers louder, higher-frequency sounds like your sister speaking to you in a restaurant.
We can utilize the hearing test to personalize hearing solutions
When we can understand which frequencies you don’t hear well or at all, we can fine tune a hearing aid to meet each ear’s unique hearing profile. In contemporary digital hearing aids, if a frequency goes into the hearing aid’s microphone, the hearing aid immediately knows if you can hear that frequency. It can then make that frequency louder so you’re able to hear it. Or it can alter the frequency by using frequency compression to a different frequency you can hear. They also have functions that can make processing background sound easier.
This creates a smoother more normal hearing experience for the hearing aid wearer because instead of just making everything louder, it’s meeting your personal hearing needs.
If you believe you may be experiencing hearing loss, contact us and we can help.