If you’re experiencing hearing loss, or you suspect that you may be, one of the first things you should do is schedule a hearing test with an audiologist. This will result in an audiogram. There are several reasons why you can lose your hearing. Some of the causes of hearing loss are temporary, like injuries that cause swelling, illnesses like ear infections that affect your sinuses or impacted earwax that can block the ear canal.
These issues can be treated or will pass on their own. However, hearing tests are recommended if your hearing loss is potentially permanent. It’s also often recommended to check your hearing, especially if you have noticed a potential delay in speech or other signs of reduced hearing.
What is an Audiogram?
The hearing tests that an audiologist will perform may differ depending on the patient. A baby or toddler can’t reliably communicate when they’ve heard a noise, so the audiologist will tweak their technique to work with this. But a hearing test performed on adults is the same regardless of age.
During a hearing test, an audiologist will play a series of noises at different frequencies through headphones. The patient will indicate when they’ve heard a noise, and the audiologist will record these results. The resultant results are displayed on an audiogram. Your audiogram will show what different sounds an individual can hear, including different frequencies. Your audiologist will then talk you through the audiogram after you have completed your test, but it essentially shows the quietest sound that you can hear.
There are also different marks to indicate the right and left ear. If you lose your hearing gradually, it’s very easy to overestimate what you can hear, as your brain automatically adjusts over time. The audiogram will provide a clear, concrete idea of your hearing.
What Audiogram Results Mean
Hearing loss can mean several different things to different individuals. You can be affected in one ear but have near-perfect hearing in the other ear. Or you might have no issues with some pitches but struggle to hear frequencies that are very high or very low. Human speech is within a certain range of frequency, so your hearing loss may or may not impact your ability to hear conversations, depending on what pitches are affected by your hearing loss.
Again, your audiologist will explain what your audiogram means for you. Your audiogram will show the extent of your hearing loss, which ear is most affected and which frequencies you cannot hear. Over time, you should have frequent hearing tests, and this can see if your hearing has changed. Your audiogram results from each test can track your hearing loss.
At certain levels of hearing loss, your audiologist might recommend hearing aids to help you hear conversations more easily. If your hearing changes over time, your hearing aids will need to be adjusted to give you the best result, so the audiogram is a useful tool to help you get the best care possible. If you want to learn more about your hearing loss contact your audiologist, to schedule a hearing test.
