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As a patient it is often difficult to take in all of the information about the results of your hearing test at the time of the assessment. A complete hearing evaluation may be comprised of multiple tests, including examination of your outer ear (otoscopy), objective testing of the inner ear (otoacoustic emissions) and middle ear (tympanometry), as well as behavioral testing (pure-tone air/bone conduction audiometry and speech audiometry). Your audiologist or hearing specialist will determine which of these tests are necessary to determine your hearing loss. This article will focus on the results of behavioral pure-tone tests and what it means about your hearing. The AudiogramAmerican Speech and Hearing Association. The Audiogram. (ASHA; 2011). Retrieved from asha.org/public/hearing/Audiogram/

An audiogram is the graph that audiologists and other hearing specialists use to record your test responses. The graph above is an example of a standard audiogram showing frequency (horizontal axis) and intensity (vertical axis). Frequency is related to pitch. The audiogram shows your ability to hear low (125-500 Hz), mid (750-2000 Hz), or high (3000-8000 Hz) pitch sounds. Hearing level (HL) in decibels (dB) refers to how soft or how loud sounds are to a person. Zero (0) dB is considered to be the optimum level for hearing.

Audiogram SymbolsYour individual test results will be recorded on the audiogram reflecting your hearing sensitivity related to both pitch and loudness. Right ear results will be indicated by an 'O', while left ear results are recorded by an 'X'. These symbols indicate how your entire hearing system (from outer to inner ear) is working together to hear. Other symbols such as angle brackets '< or >' and brackets '[ or ]' may also be present. These symbols only reflect how your inner ear is "hearing". Bracket symbols will only be present if bone conduction testing was completed. Your audiologist or hearing specialist will determine whether that testing is necessary. Typically, audiograms are also color-coded for ease of understanding. Blue is typical for left ear results, while red is typical for right ear results. These symbols are the standard for most hearing healthcare providers, but may vary slightly between offices. If your audiogram is different or difficult to underst and, please consult your audiologist or hearing specialist for assistance.

Degree of Hearing Loss (Your Hearing Status)To understand your audiogram and what it means to you further, it's good to first understand normal, typical hearing. Persons with normal hearing can hear a wide range of loudness (0 to approximately 120 dB) across a vast range of pitches (20 to 20,000 Hz). To get a better comprehension of these ranges, consider these examples. A whisper is approximately 20 dB; normal conversation is approximately 50-60 dB; and a chainsaw running is approximately 110 dB. To understand pitch, consider that thunder is typical around 20-80 Hz and a high note sung by a soprano opera singer is around 2,000 Hz.

Keeping these examples in mind, refer back to the sample audiogram provided. On the vertical axis, loudness/intensity in decibels (dB) is plotted from soft at the top of the audiogram to very loud at the bottom. On the horizontal axis, pitch/frequency in Hertz (Hz) is plotted from low pitches on the left to high pitches on the right. Where your 'X's and 'O's fall on the audiogram will indicate your degree of hearing loss. Hearing loss categories are also provided to the right of the graph in the sample audiogram provided. These categories explain the severity of your hearing loss. Normal hearing falls in the range of (0-15 dB); Slight loss in the range of 16-25 dB; Mild loss in the range of 26-40 dB; Moderate loss in the range of 41-55 dB; Moderately-severe loss in the range of 56-70 dB; Severe loss in the range of 71-90 dB; and Profound loss in the range of 90 dB and above. Some professionals will combine the normal and slight loss categories (0-25 dB) into a normal heari ng category, as many people do not experience much difficulty with communication with a 15-25 dB hearing loss.

YOUR HEARINGYour hearing may not fall into a single category. One ear may "hear better" than the other. You may hear better at some pitches than others. The important thing is for you to understand how these results can affect your everyday communication and what options are available to help. Ask your hearing healthcare provider to be candid with your hearing test results, so that you may fully understand and be ready to take action to make your hearing life change - for the better!