Measuring hearing loss is more technical than it may seem at first. You can most likely hear certain things clearly at lower volumes but not others. The majority of letters might sound clear at high or low volumes but others, like “s” and “b” may get lost. It will become more apparent why you have inconsistencies with your hearing when you figure out how to interpret your hearing test. It’s because there’s more to hearing than just cranking up the volume.
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 won’t look as simple as a scale from one to ten. (Wouldn’t it be wonderful if it did!)
Instead, it’s written on a graph, and that’s why many people find it perplexing. But if you know what you’re looking at, you too can interpret the results of your audiogram.
Deciphering the volume section of your audiogram
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 must be for you to be able to hear it.
A loss of volume between 26 dB and 45 dB indicates mild hearing loss. If hearing begins at 45-65 dB then you have moderate hearing loss. 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 have profound hearing loss.
The frequency section of your hearing test
Volume’s not the only thing you hear. You can also hear a range of frequencies or pitches of sound. Frequencies allow you to distinguish between types of sounds, including 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 chart.
So if you have hearing loss in the higher frequencies, you might need the volume of high frequency sounds to be as loud as 60 dB (the volume of somebody talking at a raised volume). The volume that the sound needs to reach for you to hear each frequency varies and will be plotted on the graph.
Why tracking both volume and frequency is so significant
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 harder to hear if you have the very prevalent form of high frequency hearing loss:
- Beeps, dings, and timers
- Whispers, even if hearing volume is good
- Birds
- “F”, “H”, “S”
- Music
- Higher pitched voices like women and children tend to have
Certain particular frequencies might be more challenging for someone with high frequency hearing loss to hear, even in the higher frequency range.
Inside of your inner ear there are very small hair-like nerve cells that vibrate 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.
This type of hearing loss can make some communications with loved ones extremely frustrating. You might have difficulty only hearing some frequencies, but your family members might assume they have to yell to be heard at all. In addition, those with this type of hearing loss find background sound overpowers louder, higher-frequency sounds like your sister talking to you in a restaurant.
We can use the hearing test to individualize 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. Contemporary hearing aids have the ability to know exactly what frequencies go into the microphone. The hearing aid can be programmed to boost whatever frequency you’re having trouble hearing. Or it can utilize its frequency compression feature to alter the frequency to one you can hear better. They also have functions that can make processing background sound simpler.
Modern hearing aids are programmed to address your particular hearing needs rather than just turning up the volume on all frequencies, which creates a smoother listening experience.
Make an appointment for a hearing exam today if you think you may be dealing with hearing loss. We can help.