ER Audiology Blog

Understanding Your Hearing Test Results: What the Audiogram Means You've just had a hearing test, and your audiologist hands you a chart filled with symbols, lines, and numbers. If you're feeling confused, you're not alone. The audiogram, a graph that shows your hearing test results, can look intimidating at first glance, but it's actually a tool that provides valuable insights into your hearing health. In this guide, we'll walk you through everything you need to know about reading and understanding your results. You'll learn what the graph means, why certain frequencies matter more than others, and what your results indicate about your hearing. What Is an Audiogram? An audiogram is a visual representation of the softest sound you can hear across different frequencies (pitches). It's created during a test called pure tone audiometry, where you listen to various tones through differing transducers and indicate when you can hear them. The Two Key Measurements ...

Protecting Your Hearing: Prevention Tips for Every Age Hearing loss is largely preventable with proper protection and awareness. Understanding how to protect your hearing at different life stages helps preserve this vital sense for years to come. In our increasingly noisy world, taking proactive steps to safeguard your hearing has never been more important. Understanding Hearing Damage How Hearing Loss Occurs Loud sounds damage delicate hair cells in the inner ear. Once damaged, these cells don't regenerate, leading to permanent hearing loss. The damage is often gradual and painless, which makes it particularly insidious. Many people don't realise they're losing their hearing until significant damage has occurred. These microscopic hair cells are responsible for converting sound vibrations into electrical signals that your brain interprets as sound. Dangerous Noise Levels Sounds above 85 decibels can cause hearing damage with prolonged exposure. For reference, normal conver...