{"id":560,"date":"2020-09-17T09:04:03","date_gmt":"2020-09-17T00:04:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/ustest\/how-to-tell-if-you-have-hearing-loss-from-an-audiogram\/"},"modified":"2020-12-12T15:58:45","modified_gmt":"2020-12-12T06:58:45","slug":"how-to-tell-if-you-have-hearing-loss-from-an-audiogram","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/ustest\/hearing-device\/how-to-tell-if-you-have-hearing-loss-from-an-audiogram\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Tell If You Have Hearing Loss From an Audiogram?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you go for a hearing test, an audiogram will be used to diagnose your hearing loss. Here we explain how this works.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An audiogram is <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.californiaearinstitute.com\/audiology-services-audiogram-bay-area-ca.php\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a graphic representation of audiometric data<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, clearly displaying your hearing ability in terms of the softest sounds you can hear at different frequencies.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Audiograms are an easy way to visualize your hearing ability as they can be compared to a normal hearing range. The results displayed by your audiogram are incredibly useful as they indicate to your doctor not only the severity of your hearing loss but the kind of medical interventions you might require.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"toc_container\" class=\"no_bullets\"><p class=\"toc_title\">Contents<\/p><ul class=\"toc_list\"><li><a href=\"#How_are_Audiograms_Made\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_1\">1<\/span> How are Audiograms Made?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#What_Does_Your_Audiogram_Look_Like_If_You_Have_Hearing_Loss\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_1\">2<\/span> What Does Your Audiogram Look Like If You Have Hearing Loss?\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#What_to_Do_If_the_Audiogram_Shows_You_Have_Hearing_Loss\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_1\">3<\/span> What to Do If the Audiogram Shows You Have Hearing Loss?\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Hidden_Hearing_Loss_and_Audiograms\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_1\">4<\/span> Hidden Hearing Loss and Audiograms\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Does_Hidden_Hearing_Loss_Show_up_on_Audiograms\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_1\">5<\/span> Does Hidden Hearing Loss Show up on Audiograms?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n<h2><span id=\"How_are_Audiograms_Made\"><b>How are Audiograms Made?<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Audiograms are created <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/medicine.uiowa.edu\/iowaprotocols\/how-read-audiogram\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">by plotting the thresholds at which you can hear various frequencies<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. The vertical lines represent frequency or pitch. Low frequencies start on the left side of the graph and each line to the right represents a higher frequency (just like if you were playing the piano). The frequencies tested are 125 Hz, 250 Hz, 500 Hz, 1000 Hz, 2000 Hz, 3000Hz, 4000 Hz, and 8000 Hz.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The pitches, as highlighted by the audiogram, are very important for hearing and understanding conversations. Sounds during speech vary in pitch (and loudness). For example, the letter \u2018s\u2019 is high in pitch and quiet, whereas, \u2018o\u2019 is low in pitch and louder. People differ in what sounds they find difficult to hear according to their specific hearing problems.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The horizontal lines on the audiogram represent loudness or intensity. The zero decibels (dB) line is located at the top of the audiogram and denotes a sound that is barely audible. The lines below represent louder and louder sounds. This part of the audiogram is important because the audiologist is also assessing your threshold for hearing in terms of the softest level that you can hear reliably. The softer the sounds you can hear, the closer the marks will be to the top of the graph.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">During the hearing test, you will be asked to raise your hand or push a button in response to the sounds that you hear. The audiologist notes the loudness of the sounds heard at each frequency. The audiogram displays what you heard.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An \u2018O\u2019 is often used to map responses for the right ear and an \u2018X\u2019 for the left ear. The audiogram will <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.asha.org\/public\/hearing\/audiogram\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">show how loud sounds must be at different frequencies for you to hear them<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Where your results fall on the audiogram <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.babyhearing.org\/what-is-an-audiogram\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">indicate the different degrees of your hearing loss<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. The type, degree, and configuration of your hearing loss can be interpreted by the audiologist.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"What_Does_Your_Audiogram_Look_Like_If_You_Have_Hearing_Loss\"><b>What Does Your Audiogram Look Like If You Have Hearing Loss?\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The audiogram shows the pattern of your hearing loss as well as the degree of your hearing loss (the severity). Put simply, if the \u2018X\u2019s and \u2018O\u2019s are at the top of the graph, you have normal hearing. When the \u2018X\u2019s and \u2018O\u2019s are farther down the graph, you have hearing loss.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your hearing might be normal for certain pitches and for different degrees of loudness, but poor for others. For example, you can have normal hearing for low pitches but not for high pitches. As speech is at high pitches, speech may not be clear to you. If this is the other way around, and you can\u2019t hear low pitches, you might not be able to hear speech at all. This will be tracked on the graph to show the specific nature of your hearing loss.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Humans can generally hear between 20 and 20,000 Hz. However, audiograms usually test frequencies between 250Hz and 8000Hz, mainly because human speech falls between 250Hz and 6000Hz.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The intensity of sound (or the loudness) is measured in decibels (dB). The decibel scale is logarithmic (based on a factor of 10), so an increase of 10 dB means a 10-fold increase in sound intensity and an increase of 20 dB means the sound is 100-fold more intense.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Audiograms usually test between 0 and 110 dB with normal conversation usually occurring around 60 dB and whispering at 15 dB.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An ability to hear sounds at 0 &#8211; 20 dB at all frequencies is normal for an adult, and 0 &#8211; 15 dB is normal for a child. If you have hearing loss, the range of sound that you are able to hear will be reduced.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mild hearing loss is indicated by the 20 &#8211; 40 dB range and is characterized by an inability to hear soft sounds. Moderate loss (difficulty hearing some quieter conversations) occurs at 41 &#8211; 55 dB, moderate-severe loss (difficulty hearing a normal conversation) occurs at 56 &#8211; 70 dB, severe loss (understanding speech only if the speaker is in close proximity) is shown at 71-90 dB, and profound (inability to even hear loud stimuli) is anything over 90 dB.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"What_to_Do_If_the_Audiogram_Shows_You_Have_Hearing_Loss\"><b>What to Do If the Audiogram Shows You Have Hearing Loss?\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If your audiogram indicates that you have hearing loss, your audiologist will be able to talk you through the details of your individual case. They\u2019ll explain the breakdown of your results and discuss the treatment options available to you.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Hidden_Hearing_Loss_and_Audiograms\"><b>Hidden Hearing Loss and Audiograms\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Audiograms are incredibly useful tools. However, they won&#8217;t show if you have<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/blogs\/the-olive-branch\/what-is-hidden-hearing-loss\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2018hidden\u2019 hearing loss<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, as this is not detectable through standard hearing tests that focus on issues with the ear.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While ordinary hearing loss occurs due to damage to the hair cells or the nerves. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthyhearing.com\/report\/53066-Hidden-hearing-loss\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hidden hearing loss occurs as a result of a loss of synapses in between<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. The signal arrives at the brain incomplete, and we don\u2019t have the information needed to interpret words. Repeated exposure to noise is thought to be one of the most common causes of hidden hearing loss.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the audiologist\u2019s quiet testing room, you only need a few synapses to pick up sounds. This means that people with hidden hearing loss can appear normal on a hearing test, but when they&#8217;re in a noisy environment and the ear must activate specific synapses, they struggle to hear.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Does_Hidden_Hearing_Loss_Show_up_on_Audiograms\"><b>Does Hidden Hearing Loss Show up on Audiograms?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As standard hearing tests aren\u2019t well-suited to detecting hidden hearing loss, if you do have it, it won\u2019t show up on an audiogram.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not only this, but hidden hearing loss can even be hidden from the person suffering from it. This is because you can normally hear in quiet environments, but the hearing loss becomes much more noticeable when you are trying to hear a conversation amongst loud background noises.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Instances of hidden hearing loss are more common than you might think. A study of more than 100,000 patient records over 16-years shows that around 10% of patients who visited the audiology clinic at Massachusetts Eye and Ear had a normal audiogram despite their complaints of having hearing difficulties. Fortunately, this means that audiologists are well aware of the possibility of their patients having hidden hearing loss.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If your audiologist suspects that you have hidden hearing loss, they\u2019ll be able to direct you towards the available assistive listening devices that can help you. This might include a discussion of personal FM systems and mobile apps, or specially designed phone services that can caption conversations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can also take advantage of ADA-required assistive listening devices in theaters, places of worship, and other public spaces.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although there is no direct treatment, promising research is underway to find medications that can prompt synapse growth and effective methods of diagnosis.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To read more about hearing loss types, causes, and treatments, see <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/blogs\/the-olive-branch\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">our other blog articles<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><b>The information in this guide has been written using the following reliable sources:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.babyhearing.org\/what-is-an-audiogram\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.babyhearing.org\/what-is-an-audiogram<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.asha.org\/public\/hearing\/audiogram\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.asha.org\/public\/hearing\/audiogram\/<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.californiaearinstitute.com\/audiology-services-audiogram-bay-area-ca.php\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.californiaearinstitute.com\/audiology-services-audiogram-bay-area-ca.php<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/medicine.uiowa.edu\/iowaprotocols\/how-read-audiogram\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/medicine.uiowa.edu\/iowaprotocols\/how-read-audiogram<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthyhearing.com\/report\/53066-Hidden-hearing-loss\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.healthyhearing.com\/report\/53066-Hidden-hearing-loss<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you have had an audiogram, how can you tell if you have hearing loss? We explain what a hearing loss audiogram will look like and how different types of hearing loss are diagnosed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1218,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1,3],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v15.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/ustest\/hearing-device\/how-to-tell-if-you-have-hearing-loss-from-an-audiogram\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Tell If You Have Hearing Loss From an Audiogram? - Olive Union\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"If you have had an audiogram, how can you tell if you have hearing loss? 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