{"id":563,"date":"2020-09-17T08:27:39","date_gmt":"2020-09-16T23:27:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/ustest\/what-is-an-audiogram-test\/"},"modified":"2020-12-01T09:42:32","modified_gmt":"2020-12-01T00:42:32","slug":"what-is-an-audiogram-test","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/ustest\/hearing-loss\/what-is-an-audiogram-test\/","title":{"rendered":"What is an Audiogram Test?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An audiogram, more commonly known as a pure-tone audiometry, is a common diagnostic method for hearing loss. The results obtained through this hearing test are displayed on an audiogram, which is then used by an audiologist to diagnose a hearing loss.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This article will explain what to expect from your audiogram test.\u00a0<\/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=\"#What_Is_an_Audiogram\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_1\">1<\/span> What Is an Audiogram?\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#How_Do_You_Get_an_Audiogram\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_1\">2<\/span> How Do You Get an Audiogram?\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#How_Is_an_Audiogram_Test_Done\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_1\">3<\/span> How Is an Audiogram Test Done?\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#How_Does_an_Audiogram_Determine_Hearing_Loss\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_1\">4<\/span> How Does an Audiogram Determine Hearing Loss?\u00a0<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n<h2><span id=\"What_Is_an_Audiogram\"><b>What Is an Audiogram?\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you&#8217;ve seen a doctor about your hearing health, they might have referred you to an audiologist for a hearing test.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This hearing test involves logging your response to certain sounds that can be used to identify hearing loss. You\u2019ll need to listen to different tones at various frequencies (particularly those most important for hearing and understanding speech) and volumes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The results of this hearing test are displayed on an audiogram \u2014 a graph used to show your \u2018audiometric\u2019 data. Your audiologist wants to see the softest sounds you can hear at different frequencies (or pitches). The plots on the audiogram clearly present this information.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you look at an audiogram, you will see plotted points for both your left and right ear. An \u2018O\u2019 is frequently used to represent responses for the right ear and an \u2018X\u2019 for the left ear.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Importantly, the closer these points are to the top of the graph, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.babyhearing.org\/what-is-an-audiogram\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the softer the sounds you&#8217;re able to hear<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Where your results fall on the graph indicates how you experience hearing loss and to what degree.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Audiograms help to show the type, degree, and configuration of your hearing loss. This is necessary because you might be able to hear low pitches normally, but not high pitches. In this instance, you might be able to hear speech, but it&#8217;ll be difficult to understand in some cases.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If your test shows that you have hearing loss at all pitches, this can explain why you have trouble hearing any speech at all.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Overall, audiograms are a convenient way to visualize hearing ability, as they use a scale that relates to the \u2018normal\u2019 range of hearing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"How_Do_You_Get_an_Audiogram\"><b>How Do You Get an Audiogram?\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you go to your physician for a diagnosis, they will be able to refer you on to an audiologist.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You&#8217;ll be able to make an appointment with this referral or you can <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthyhearing.com\/hearing-aids\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">find a local audiologist directly<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. We recommend that you avoid chains and big stores. Getting a trusted audiologist recommendation from a friend or family member could also be helpful.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To find out if an <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/medical-devices\/hearing-aids\/how-get-hearing-aids#3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">audiologist is licensed, <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">you can check with your local Better Business Bureau, consumer protection agency, State Attorney General&#8217;s office, or the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It&#8217;s also worth noting that hearing tests are not usually covered by Medicare \u2014 be sure to check the details of your plan or contact your insurance provider.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Generally, there are <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/mayfieldclinic.com\/pe-hearing.htm\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">no special preparations required for the test<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, you can just show up to your appointment.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"How_Is_an_Audiogram_Test_Done\"><b>How Is an Audiogram Test Done?\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You shouldn\u2019t be worried about your hearing test \u2014 they&#8217;re painless, non-invasive, and pretty straightforward.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your audiologist will take you to a quiet, sound-treated room, where you\u2019ll be asked to wear headphones or soft earplugs. These headphones will have wires connected to an \u2018audiometer\u2019 \u2014 a special instrument used to conduct the test.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once things are set up, your audiologist will give you instructions through your headphones. Your test will include listening to tones at different frequencies (pitches) and volumes. This is to measure your threshold for tones over a range of frequencies (usually 250 &#8211; 8000 Hz, the frequency range necessary to understand speech).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">During the test, when you hear a sound, you&#8217;ll raise your hand or push a button. Your audiologist will note how loud the sound was at each frequency.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Accurate reporting on your behalf is important for an audiogram that is truly reflective of your hearing ability.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There might also be a speech audiometry part of your hearing test, which uses live or recorded speech (not pure tones) to measure the softest speech sounds you can hear and understand. This helps to determine the upper limit of your listening level.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You might also listen to words and statements to a background of increasingly noisy sounds, reflective of real-world environments.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When you&#8217;ve completed the test, the audiologist will explain your results.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"How_Does_an_Audiogram_Determine_Hearing_Loss\"><b>How Does an Audiogram Determine Hearing Loss?\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your test results will be presented on an audiogram to reveal the nature of your hearing capacity.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As we&#8217;ve already mentioned, \u2018X\u2019s and \u2018O\u2019s at the top of the graph signify normal hearing. Where \u2018X\u2019s and \u2018O\u2019s are farther down the graph, it shows that you have some degree of hearing loss.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For an adult, 0 &#8211; 20 dB in all frequencies is a normal range, and 0 -15 dB is normal for a child. Mild hearing loss is indicated by the 20 &#8211; 40 dB range, moderate loss occurs at 41 &#8211; 55 dB, moderate-severe loss occurs at 56 &#8211; 70 dB, a severe loss is shown at 71-90 dB, and profound is anything over 90 dB.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Audiograms can help reveal hearing loss over time, as you can compare a recent audiogram to those from previous tests. As hearing loss (particularly age-related hearing loss) often gets worse gradually, this allows you to track any changes and the rate of change.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Audiograms are very effective at revealing various hearing difficulties. Nevertheless, it\u2019s important to note that audiograms cannot explain all auditory behavior. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/blogs\/the-olive-branch\/what-is-hidden-hearing-loss\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hidden hearing loss <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">is not detectable through standard hearing tests, and won\u2019t show up on an audiogram. Also, some people who have extremely similar audiograms will still experience differences in their hearing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There might also be problems with your outer or middle ear, so<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hearingdirect.com\/pages\/audiograms-explained.html#:~:text=Audiograms%20present%20our%20ability%20to,used%20to%20identify%20hearing%20loss\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> bone conduction testing<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> might also be performed as part of pure-tone audiometry. The same frequencies are tested, and you will still be asked to respond to the softest level you can hear. These results are then plotted on the audiogram as bone-conduction results, so the audiologist can see if there is a significant difference between them and the air conduction results that could indicate an issue with the outer or middle ear.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If hearing loss is detected, it can be described in terms of its degree, shape (flat, steeply sloping, cookie-bite), and type (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/blogs\/the-olive-branch\/what-is-sensorineural-hearing-loss\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">sensorineural<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/blogs\/the-olive-branch\/what-is-conductive-hearing-loss\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">conductive<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">). If your hearing loss is different in each ear in terms of degree, shape, or type, each ear will be described separately. If they&#8217;re similar, you&#8217;ll have a &#8216;bilateral&#8217; hearing loss.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An audiogram can provide a detailed insight into your hearing. There will be lots to discuss and your audiologist should take the time to talk things through with you. If you do have hearing loss, your audiologist will discuss whether you need any further diagnostic tests or help you to think about potential treatment options.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To learn more about hearing loss and audiograms, 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:\/\/www.hearingdirect.com\/pages\/audiograms-explained.html#:~:text=Audiograms%20present%20our%20ability%20to,used%20to%20identify%20hearing%20loss\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.hearingdirect.com\/pages\/audiograms-explained.html#<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/medical-devices\/hearing-aids\/how-get-hearing-aids\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/medical-devices\/hearing-aids\/how-get-hearing-aids<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/mayfieldclinic.com\/pe-hearing.htm\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/mayfieldclinic.com\/pe-hearing.htm<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthyhearing.com\/help\/hearing-loss\/tests\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.healthyhearing.com\/help\/hearing-loss\/tests<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An audiogram test is the best way for a physician to accurately measure your hearing loss. Find out more about how it works and how you can get one.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":791,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[6,3],"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-loss\/what-is-an-audiogram-test\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What is an Audiogram Test? - Olive Union\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"An audiogram test is the best way for a physician to accurately measure your hearing loss. 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