The bigger the space, the more sounds you’re not hearing. The space between the normal hearing area and your threshold symbols represents all of the sounds you’re missing because of your hearing loss. They will also describe the pattern of your loss, generally as flat, sloping or rising. Hearing loss is often classified as slight, mild, moderate, moderate-to-severe, severe or profound.
#How to read an audiobook s professional
Your hearing care professional will classify the severity of your hearing loss, or degree of hearing loss, by where the symbols fall on the graph. Any symbols below that shaded area, however, indicate hearing loss at those frequencies. If your threshold symbols fall in the blue-shaded area, your hearing ability is considered within normal limits. Looking at the above audiogram, normal hearing ability is represented in the blue shaded area above the 25-dB line that crosses the graph from left to right. If the lines are not overlapping your hearing loss is considered asymmetrical, meaning your ears have differing degrees of hearing loss. If the two lines are essentially overlapping, your hearing loss is considered symmetrical, or the same in both ears. Once all of the thresholds are measured and plotted on the graph, they are connected to form easy-to-read lines for the left and right ears. In the example above, the individual's threshold for 2000 Hz was 50 dB in each ear. The important thing to understand is that the responses from the left ear are represented in blue, and those from the right ear are represented in red. Each symbol on the chart represents your threshold for a given frequency. The air conduction results for the right ear are marked with a red “O," and the results for the left ear are marked with a blue “X." Bone conduction testing, in which a device is placed behind the ear in order to transmit sound through the vibration of the mastoid bone, is marked with a “[“ or a “<” symbol. Testing with headphones is called air conduction testing because the sound must travel through the air of the ear canal to reach the inner ear. There are several different symbols used to indicate thresholds on an audiogram, depending on the specific testing conditions.
What do the symbols on an audiogram mean? (It's actually a normative curve that has been straightened out!) Zero decibels actually represents the softest level of sound that the average person with normal hearing will hear, for any given frequency. Although the top left of the chart is labeled -10 dB or 0 dB, that does not mean the absence of sound. The vertical axis (y-axis) of the audiogram represents the intensity (loudness) of sound in decibels (dB), with the lowest levels at the top of the graph. Most speech falls into the 250 to 6000 Hz range, with the vowel sounds among the lowest frequencies and the consonants such as S, F, SH, CH, H, TH, T and K sounds among the highest frequencies. You can think of the frequency axis like the keys on a piano where the sounds become higher pitched as you progress from left to right. The lowest frequency tested is usually 250 Hertz (Hz), and the highest is usually 8000 Hz. The horizontal axis (x-axis) represents frequency (pitch) from lowest to highest. Looking at the audiogram graph, you will see two axes: It also can't detect if you have hidden hearing loss. It uses a specific numerical system to measure residual hearing ability in quiet rooms it doesn't subjectively describe the quality of your hearing ability. So don't be surprised if you feel like you "missed" some of the beeps.Īn important thing to remember is that the audiogram is quantitative, not qualitative. A hearing threshold is defined as the softest sound you are able to detect about 50 percent of the time. The audiogram plots your hearing thresholds across various frequencies, or pitches, in a quiet listening environment. This testing produces a chart called an audiogram. The goal of audiometric testing is to measure your hearing ability across a range of frequencies in each ear independently. Even more important, your hearing care professional will use the results to help determine the best type of hearing aid for you.
#How to read an audiobook s how to
But once you learn how to read and interpret your audiogram, you will better understand your hearing loss. Initially, it might look like a bunch of indecipherable lines and symbols.
An audiogram is a graph or chart that displays the results of your hearing test.
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