It may seem, initially, like measuring hearing loss would be simple. You can probably hear certain things clearly at lower volumes but not others. Most letters may sound clear at high or low volumes but others, such as “s” and “b” may get lost. It will become more evident why you notice inconsistencies with your hearing when you learn how to interpret your hearing test. That’s because there’s more to hearing than just cranking up the volume.
When I get my audiogram, how do I decipher it?
Hearing professionals will be able to get a read on the state of your hearing by utilizing this type of hearing test. It would be great if it looked as simple as a scale from one to ten, but regrettably, that isn’t the case.
Many people find the graph format challenging at first. But if you are aware of what you’re looking at, you too can interpret the results of your audiogram.
Interpreting the volume portion of your audiogram
Along the left side of the chart is the volume in Decibels (dB) from 0 (silent) to around 120 (thunder). This number will identify how loud a sound needs to be for you to be able to hear it. Higher numbers mean that in order for you to hear it, you will require louder sound.
If you can’t hear any sound until it is about 30 dB then you’re dealing with 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. Hearing loss is severe if your hearing begins at 66-85 dB. If you can’t 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.
Examining frequency on a hearing test
Volume’s not the only thing you hear. You hear sound at varied frequencies, commonly known as pitches in music. Frequencies help you distinguish between types of sounds, including the letters of the alphabet.
Frequencies that a human ear can hear, ranging from 125 (lower than a bullfrog) to 8000 (higher than a cricket), are usually listed along the bottom of the chart.
We will test how well you’re able to hear frequencies in between and can then plot them on the chart.
So, for instance, if you’re dealing with 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 an elevated, but not yelling, voice). The volume that the sound must reach for you to hear specific frequencies varies and will be plotted on the chart.
Why tracking both volume and frequency is so essential
So in the real world, what could the results of this test mean for you? High-frequency hearing loss, which is a very common form of loss would make it harder to hear or understand:
- Beeps, dings, and timers
- Women and children who tend to have higher-pitched voices
- Whispers, even if hearing volume is good
- Music
- “F”, “H”, “S”
- Birds
While someone with high-frequency hearing loss has more difficulty with high-frequency sounds, some frequencies may seem easier to hear than others.
Inside of your inner ear you have tiny hair-like nerve cells that move along with sounds. You lose the ability to hear in whatever frequencies which the corresponding hair cells that detect those frequencies have become damaged and have died. You will completely lose your ability to hear any frequencies that have lost all of the corresponding hair cells.
Communicating with others can become extremely frustrating if you’re suffering from this type of hearing loss. You may have trouble only hearing some frequencies, but your family members may think they need to yell to be heard at all. And higher frequency sounds, like your sister talking to you, often get drowned out by background noise for people who have this type of hearing loss.
Hearing solution can be personalized by a hearing professional by using a hearing test
We will be able to custom tune a hearing aid for your specific hearing requirements once we’re able to comprehend which frequencies you’re not able to hear. Modern hearing aids have the ability to know exactly what frequencies go into the microphone. The hearing aid can be fine tuned to boost whatever frequency you’re having trouble hearing. Or it can make use of its frequency compression feature to alter the frequency to one you can hear better. Additionally, they can enhance your ability to process background noise.
Modern hearing aids are programmed to target your particular hearing requirements rather than just turning up the volume on all frequencies, which creates a smoother listening experience.
If you believe you might be dealing with hearing loss, contact us and we can help.