What Your Audiogram Reveals About Your Hearing Health
Your hearing is an important part of your overall health and well-being. To understand where your hearing is at, a hearing test should be performed. When you have your hearing evaluated, you will receive an audiogram – a visual representation of your hearing loss. Understanding your audiogram and its significance is essential for maintaining good hearing health.
Where to Get Your Hearing Checked
The first step in understanding your hearing health is to get your hearing checked. Birmingham Speech & Hearing Associates offers comprehensive hearing tests for the people of Birmingham, Jasper, Talladega, and the surrounding areas. Our team is trained to perform various types of hearing tests and interpret the results accurately.
If you’re wondering, “Do I need a hearing test?” consider factors such as age, exposure to loud noises, or if you are experiencing difficulty hearing conversations.
Types of Hearing Tests
There are different types of hearing tests, each designed to assess specific aspects of your auditory system. The most common types of hearing tests include:
- Pure tone audiometry measures your ability to hear sounds at various frequencies and volumes.
- Speech audiometry evaluates how well you can hear and repeat words at different levels of loudness.
- Tympanometry examines the functioning of your middle ear.
Collectively, these tests provide a detailed picture of your hearing health and help our hearing specialists identify any issues.
Do I Need a Hearing Test?
Many people question whether they need a hearing test or not. If you find yourself frequently asking people to repeat themselves, turning up the volume on your devices, or struggling to hear in noisy environments, you may want to have your hearing checked.
Understanding Your Hearing Test Results
Once you’ve had your hearing tested, the results are presented in an audiogram, a graph that illustrates your hearing thresholds at various frequencies. Your audiogram will reveal what type of hearing loss you have: conductive, sensorineural, or mixed.
One of the hearing care professionals at Birmingham Speech & Hearing Associates will interpret the audiogram and explain your results. The decibel (dB) levels at which you can hear different frequencies is measured in Hertz (Hz). A normal hearing range is typically between 0-25 dB across all frequencies. A deviation from this range may indicate hearing loss, which varies in severity from mild to profound.
Take Care of Your Hearing Health
Your audiogram is a vital tool in assessing your hearing health. Knowing where to get your hearing checked, understanding the types of hearing tests available, and recognizing the signs that indicate the need for a hearing test are crucial steps in maintaining your hearing well-being.
At Birmingham Speech & Hearing Associates, we can expertly assess your hearing and provide you with educational resources and the tools to manage hearing loss. Contact us today to schedule an appointment for a hearing test!