Determining hearing loss is more technical than it may seem at first. If you’re dealing with hearing loss, you can probably hear some things clearly at a lower volume, but not others. You may confuse certain letters like “S” or “B”, but hear other letters perfectly fine at whatever volume. It will become more obvious why you have inconsistencies with your hearing when you figure out how to read your hearing test. Because merely turning up the volume isn’t enough.
When I get my audiogram, how do I decipher it?
An audiogram is a type of hearing test that hearing professionals use to ascertain how you hear. It won’t look as straightforward as a scale from one to ten. (Wouldn’t it be great if it did!)
Rather, it’s written on a graph, which is why many find it perplexing. But if you know what you’re looking at, you too can interpret the results of your audiogram.
Decoding the volume section of your hearing test
The volume in Decibels is detailed on the left side of the chart (from 0 dB to about 120 dB). This number will identify how loud a sound has to be for you to be capable of hearing it. Higher numbers mean 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’re dealing with moderate hearing loss if your hearing starts at 45-65 dB. If you begin hearing at between 66 and 85 dB then it means you have severe hearing loss. 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 audiogram
Volume isn’t the only thing you hear. You can also hear a range of frequencies or pitches of sound. Different types of sounds, including letters of the alphabet, are differentiated by frequency or pitch.
On the lower section of the graph, you’ll usually find frequencies that a human ear can detect, going from a low frequency of 125 (deeper than a bullfrog) to a high frequency of 8000 (higher than a cricket)
This test will allow us to define how well you can hear within a span of wavelengths.
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 volume that the sound must reach for you to hear each frequency varies and will be plotted on the chart.
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 real life. Here are a few sounds that would be more difficult to hear if you have the very common form of high frequency hearing loss:
- Music
- Women and children who tend to have higher-pitched voices
- Birds
- Whispers, even if hearing volume is good
- Beeps, dings, and timers
- “F”, “H”, “S”
While somebody with high-frequency hearing loss has more trouble with high-frequency sounds, some frequencies might seem easier to hear than others.
Inside of your inner ear you have tiny hair-like nerve cells that move along 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. You will totally lose your ability to hear any frequencies that have lost all of the corresponding hair cells.
This kind of hearing loss can make some communications with friends and family extremely aggravating. You may have difficulty only hearing some frequencies, but your family members might think they need to yell in order for you to hear them at all. In addition to that, those who have this type of hearing impairment find background noise overpowers louder, higher-frequency sounds such as your sister talking to you in a restaurant.
We can use the hearing test to individualize hearing solutions
When we can recognize which frequencies you can’t hear well or at all, we can program a hearing aid to meet each ear’s unique hearing profile. Modern hearing aids have the ability to know 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 change the frequency by using frequency compression to another frequency you can hear. Additionally, they can improve your ability to process background noise.
Modern hearing aids are programmed to address your specific hearing needs rather than just turning up the volume on all frequencies, which creates a smoother listening experience.
Schedule an appointment for a hearing exam right away if you think you may be suffering from hearing loss. We can help.