Decoding the Hearing Test: What Do the Results Mean?

Hearing tests are crucial in determining your hearing level. After completing your test, your audiologist will present the results as an audiogram. If it’s your first time seeing one, it’ll probably look like graphs, lines, crosses and circles. But don’t worry; test results are fairly easy to understand. You just need to know what you’re looking at, and an audiologist will walk you through what your results mean. Remember that understanding your results can help you make a better-informed decision about the right treatment that suits your hearing needs.

What Is an Audiogram?

This graph shows the softest sounds you can hear at different frequencies of pitches. It usually shows hearing levels for both ears, with different symbols representing each ear. The test might show where and how hearing loss differs in each ear, known as asymmetrical hearing loss. It could also show a symmetrical hearing loss occurring in both ears. To identify an asymmetrical hearing loss, you’ll notice that the plotted data show as two lines differing from each other. However, the plotted data for both ears will follow the same pattern for symmetrical hearing loss results.

Understanding The Audiogram Layout

The audiogram is divided into two main parts – frequency and intensity. Frequency is measured in hertz and represents the sound’s pitch or tone. Intensity is used for how loud or soft a sound is and is measured in decibels. The frequency and intensity are crucial components of any hearing test result. When you hear a sound, it travels through your ear canal, vibrating on your eardrum. The sound is then converted and transmitted as electrical signals to the brain.
Frequency could be high or low and is usually displayed at the audiogram’s top. If you have a high-frequency loss, it will show on the audiogram’s right side. But if it’s displayed on the left, you have a low-frequency hearing loss, which means it’s harder to hear low-pitched sounds.

What most people call loudness is technically the sound’s intensity, measured in decibels. The axis on your audiogram measures the decibels (dBs), and the higher the number shown, the higher your hearing loss. Remember that regular conversation is within a 60-70dBs range, while a lawn mower operates at 107dBs.

What Do the Circles and Lines Mean?

A standard audiogram may show red circles, indicating the right ear results and blue crosses marking your left ear results. Each cross or circle represents the level of frequency tested and the volume at which you can hear that frequency. An individual with healthy hearing should be able to hear sounds from 250 to 8000 hertz at very low volumes. If you notice areas on your test result where the lines drop below 20dBs, that may indicate hearing loss. Also, the greater the line falls or drops, the more severe the hearing loss.

What Does Healthy Hearing Look Like on an Audiogram?

You can take a hearing test even if you’re not experiencing hearing loss. It’s advisable to take a hearing test regularly to know the state of your hearing. So, how can you tell if an audiogram shows healthy hearing? Healthy hearing is usually represented in several lines, gradually rising with frequencies. That means your ears can detect and pick up sounds at different frequencies from background noises around you.

Degree of Hearing Loss

Based on your audiogram result, your audiologist will classify your hearing loss into one of many categories. For example, you can have mild, moderate, severe and profound hearing loss:

• With mild hearing loss, you can only hear sounds above 25 to 40dBs.
• Moderate hearing loss means you can’t hear sounds quieter than 40 to 70dBs.
• Hearing loss may be severe when you can’t hear sounds quieter than 70 to 95dBs.
• You might not hear sounds quieter than 95dBs with profound hearing loss.

Remember that the degree of hearing loss may not always correspond with your ability to understand speech and communicate effectively. That’s why a word recognition score is also important.

Word Recognition Score

Most hearing test results also show word recognition scores. This score reflects your speech comprehension level or how well you understand speech. While this may not directly be about hearing loss, it’s still important as it helps indicate whether hearing aids may be useful for your case.

If you’re experiencing hearing loss, scheduling an audiogram test is important. The results can determine the severity of hearing loss and the treatment option that best suits you. Don’t hesitate to contactor Affordable Audiology & Hearing Service and call us today at (920) 267-5220 of you want to learn more about audiograms.