|
Click Here
for more Articles
|
|
|
|
Understanding
and Reading Your Audiogram
|
|
by:
Stan Boston
|
After you have a hearing test, your hearing professional should show
you a graph of how your hearing tested. This graph is called an
Audiogram.
While many individual hearing offices make up a form of their own to
use in marking your test results, there are some basics that are used
quite frequently. Name and contact information are just a few of the
things you will find on the form. However, probably the most important
thing you will find on the form is the audiogram graph.
This graph has most of the information you will need to be fitted for a
hearing aid properly.
There are two measurements used on an audiogram to gauge how you
currently hear. These measurements are called Sound Frequency &
Hearing Level:
The Sound Frequency is measured in Hertz, otherwise
referred to as Hz. This measurement is across the top and is generally
tested in the range of 250Hz to 8000Hz. Humans have been known to hear
from 20Hz to 20,000Hz. The lower the number, the lower the sound.
Example: A man's voice is going to be found farther to the left than a
woman's voice. Generally, consonants are found further to the right
than vowels.
The Hearing Level, or HL, is measured in Decibels,
or db. The important thing to know about decibels is that if a sound
increases by 10 decibels, it doubles in loudness as we perceive it. A 0
(Zero) is considered to be the optimum (or normal) level of hearing.
Most people suffer some form of hearing loss though, even if it hasn't
reached a point where a hearing aid or other device is needed. Sounds
on the chart down to about 35db are considered soft sounds. From there
to about 70db are considered to be moderate sounds. Above 70db is
considered a loud sound.
The rest of this article, along with sample audiograms can found in the
Hearing
Information section of Discount Valley.
About the Author
Stan Boston is the general manager of Discount Valley Hearing
Aid Supply.
|
|
