It might seem, initially, like measuring hearing loss would be easy. You can most likely hear certain things clearly at lower volumes but not others. You might confuse certain letters like “S” or “B”, but hear other letters perfectly fine at whatever volume. It will become more evident why you have inconsistencies with your hearing when you learn how to read your hearing test. Because simply turning up the volume isn’t enough.
When I get my audiogram, how do I decipher it?
Hearing professionals will be able to get a read on the condition of your hearing by making use of this type of hearing test. It won’t look as straightforward as a scale from one to ten. (Wouldn’t it be wonderful if it did!)
Many individuals find the graph format challenging at first. But if you understand what you’re looking at, you too can understand the results of your audiogram.
Examining volume on an audiogram
Along the left side of the graph is the volume in Decibels (dB) from 0 (silent) to around 120 (thunder). This number will specify how loud a sound has to be for you to be able to hear it. Higher numbers signify that in order for you to hear it, you will require louder sound.
A loss of volume between 26 dB and 45 dB indicates mild hearing loss. You have 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 reaches 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
You hear other things besides volume too. You hear sound at varied frequencies, commonly called pitches in music. Frequencies help you distinguish between types of sounds, and this includes the letters of the alphabet.
On the lower section of the chart, you’ll typically 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 if you have hearing loss in the higher wavelengths, you may need the volume of high frequency sounds to be as high as 60 dB (the volume of somebody talking at a raised volume). The chart will plot the volumes that the different frequencies will have to reach before you can hear them.
Is it important to track both frequency and volume?
Now that you know how to read your audiogram, let’s look at what those results might mean for you in the real world. Here are a few sounds that would be tougher to hear if you have the very common form of high frequency hearing loss:
- Beeps, dings, and timers
- Birds
- Women and children who tend to have higher-pitched voices
- “F”, “H”, “S”
- Music
- Whispers, even if hearing volume is good
Some particular frequencies might be harder for someone who has high frequency hearing loss to hear, even within the higher frequency range.
Inside your inner ear there are very small hair-like nerve cells that move 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 entirely lose your ability to hear any frequencies that have lost all of the corresponding hair cells.
Communicating with other people can become extremely aggravating if you’re suffering from this type of hearing loss. You may have difficulty only hearing certain frequencies, but your family members may think they have 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 individuals with this kind of hearing loss.
We can use the hearing test to personalize hearing solutions
We will be able to custom program a hearing aid for your specific hearing needs once we’re able to comprehend which frequencies you’re having trouble hearing. In modern digital hearing aids, if a frequency enters the hearing aid’s microphone, the hearing aid automatically knows whether you’re able to hear that frequency. The hearing aid can be programmed to boost whatever frequency you’re having trouble hearing. Or it can alter the frequency by using frequency compression to another frequency that you can hear. In addition, they can enhance your ability to process background noise.
This delivers a smoother more normal hearing experience for the hearing aid user because rather than just making everything louder, it’s meeting your personal hearing needs.
If you think you may be dealing with hearing loss, contact us and we can help.