hearing test Tag

sounds on audiogram

What Does my Audiogram Mean?

What Does my Audiogram Mean? In Canada, 19% of our 35 million population have hearing loss (Statistics Canada, 2013), and many more than that have their hearing tested regularly. So what does the audiogram mean? What information does it give me about my hearing? Well, here's a short explanation for you and what your audiogram means. What is an Audiogram? An audiogram is a graph used in audiology to plot your hearing levels. On this graph, you'll see the vertical line we call decibels (dB) and the horizontal line for frequency (hertz - Hz). Decibels are the units of volume or loudness used in audiology. Quiet sounds are at the top of the graph and as you go down the louder the sound is. Frequency is the pitch of the sound with low pitch on the left and high pitch on the right. We examine several frequencies from 250 to 8,000 hertz; this captures all the sounds in human speech and more. During a hearing test, we use this graph to chart how you respond to beeps at each frequency as we raise and lower the volume. Each ear is given a symbol, O for your right ear and X for your left. We'll look at these more in the next section. Information is on the Audiogram? After the hearing test is done, there are several important things to look at. First, we look at the responses of your right and left ear. Depending on where they fall on the graph...

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sound booth

What to Expect from your Hearing Test

You've already made the most important step, you recognized the need and made the appointment for your hearing test! From here on out, it's simple. Here is what to expect from your appointment...   The appointment involves 3 steps: Consultation and Hearing History Test (a combination of several little tests) Results & Recommendations (a little R&R) 1. Consultation After a bit of paperwork to get your personal information and hearing history, the practitioner will meet with you. They will discuss your concerns, questions, and generally, just get to know you and your lifestyle. The questions they ask will give them some indicators about what might be going on and begin the thought process for the best recommendations based on test results.  2. Hearing Test... what to expect Hearing tests are usually a combination of several little tests.   First, the practitioner will look in your ears, we call this otoscopy. They are checking for wax (too much wax can cause pressure, decreased hearing, and give us inaccurate results) and the general health of your ear canal and eardrum.   Next, you'll enter the sound booth. Depending on where you go the booth may look a little different, but they all have the same function, to be mostly soundproof. This provides the ideal environment to test where your hearing levels are really at. In the booth with headphones in your ears or on your head, you'll hear some beeping noises and do a couple of little tests with speech to show us...

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TED Audiogram

Understanding my Audiogram

How to Understand Your Audiogram   You’ve made an appointment to have your hearing tested. The Audiologist or Hearing Instrument Practitioner puts you in this booth, you hear a whole bunch of beeping sounds and then… they hand you this piece of paper with some X’s and O’s (when did this become a game of tic-tac-toe!). Welcome to your audiogram, which is a fancy term for the graph we use to record your hearing levels. So what do all these lines and symbols mean?   Lines and Symbols At the top of the graph is the frequency (Hz) of sound or the pitch. As the frequencies go from left to right they go from low to high pitch. Vertically on the left side are decibels (dB), the intensity or the volume of the sound. As the decibel number gets bigger so does the volume and potential hearing loss. During your hearing test, we go through each pitch at different volumes to determine the softest sound you can hear. This is where the X’s and O’s come in! We mark the quietest sound you can hear for each frequency: X’s for the left ear and O’s for the right. This gives us a visual representation of where your hearing is. Another way to think about it - Every sound, including speech [the speech banana as it’s called], is made at a particular pitch and volume. A lawnmower is rather loud at 100dB and has a low-frequency sound. The human voice can range...

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Ah! I need hearing aids

I need hearing aids... “That must mean I’m old.” We hear this so often in the office when people first visit us. With such a common association between needing hearing aids and being ‘old’ it’s no wonder there is hesitation and fear attached to having your hearing tested. But you know what, it’s not true! Hearing loss is not just an ‘old person’ phenomenon. Hearing loss affects everyone… all ages, genders, and races.  Statistics According to the World Health Organization (WHO) around 466 million people across the world suffer from hearing loss and 34 million of these are children. In 2013, Statistics Canada reported 4.6 million Canadians (19% of the population) ages 20-70 reported having hearing loss; 55% being under the age of 60!  Age may have a strong connection to hearing loss, but it’s not the ONLY one.    Causes of hearing loss I would say close to half of our clients have what we call ‘noise-induced hearing loss’. Meaning they’ve worked in factories, construction, around machinery, or other ridiculously loud sounds for a prolonged period of time. Other causes may include Meningitis, diabetes, some medications, genetics… the list goes on.  Age does not equal hearing loss So hearing loss really isn’t just an age thing. I know what you’re thinking, ‘okay Taylor, you can give me all the stats you want, but that doesn’t change how I feel.’ That’s fair, so let’s look at it this way... Would you have the same fear of being told you need glasses,...

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Put that hearing test at the top of your “Done” list

Put that hearing test at the top of your "done" list Of all the life hacks for better living, taking care of your hearing is among the smartest — and it yields an incredible ROI. In short, getting a hearing test is worth it. No matter what your age, untreated hearing loss can take its toll. The catch is, hearing loss is stealthy. It's usually hard to notice at first. In fact, it tends to come on so gradually that it tricks you into oblivion. Then it robs you of more than you realize, sooner than you realize. From pilfering away at your relationships and quality of life, to putting you at risk for other health conditions, untreated hearing loss is a silent thief. And don't think for a minute that you're too young to think about hearing loss — you're not. It's a noisy world. You're part of it. And the numbers show that hearing loss is becoming more common among younger adults — in their 20s and 30s. So make sure you value your hearing. It's a treasure worth keeping. To give you an extra push, here are eight reasons why you should get a hearing test today. 1. It may help your pocketbook. Research shows that middle-aged people with hearing loss have about a third more in health care payments than those without hearing loss. A study by the Better Hearing Institute (BHI) shows that using hearing aids reduces the risk of income loss by 90 to 100 percent...

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