An audiogram is a graph that shows how well you hear different pitches, or frequencies, at different volumes. It is the main tool an audiologist uses to explain your hearing test results, and learning to read one takes only a few minutes. Along the bottom of the graph you will see frequency in hertz, running from low pitches on the left, such as 250 hertz, to high pitches on the right, such as 8000 hertz. Along the side you will see volume in decibels, from quiet sounds at the top down to louder sounds at the bottom. The further down a mark sits on the graph, the louder a sound had to be before you could hear it.

Before the graph is drawn, you usually sit in a soundproof booth with headphones or earphones and respond whenever you hear a tone. The tester plays tones at different pitches and volumes, starting quietly and getting louder until you signal that you hear them. This finds your threshold, the softest level you can detect at each pitch. A separate test may check bone conduction by placing a small vibrator behind your ear, which bypasses the outer and middle ear and shows how well the inner ear works. Speech tests may also be included, where you repeat words at a comfortable volume to measure how clearly you understand speech, not just whether you hear it.

On the audiogram itself, red circles usually mark the right ear and blue crosses mark the left ear. These symbols are air conduction results, meaning sound travelled through the whole ear. Brackets or arrows may show bone conduction results. When the air conduction marks sit lower than the bone conduction marks, it suggests a problem in the outer or middle ear, such as wax, fluid, or a hole in the eardrum. When both sets of marks sit low together, it points to a sensorineural loss, which involves the inner ear or hearing nerve and is often permanent.

The vertical position of the marks tells you the degree of hearing loss. Normal hearing is usually shown as thresholds of 20 decibels or better across most pitches. Mild loss sits around 21 to 40 decibels, moderate loss around 41 to 55, moderately severe around 56 to 70, severe around 71 to 90, and profound loss below 90. Someone with mild loss may struggle in noisy rooms or miss soft speech, while someone with moderate loss may need others to speak up regularly. The shape of the line matters too. A line that slopes downward toward the high pitches is common with age-related hearing loss, while a flat line across all pitches suggests a more even loss.

After the test, ask the audiologist to walk you through three things. First, the degree of loss in each ear. Second, the type of loss, whether conductive, sensorineural, or mixed. Third, the pattern, meaning which pitches are most affected and what that means for everyday listening. Ask how your results compare with previous tests if you have had one before, since change over time is often as important as the numbers themselves. Finally, discuss next steps, which might include monitoring, medical referral, hearing aids, or simply strategies such as facing people when they speak and reducing background noise. Keep a copy of your audiogram so future comparisons are easy, and do not hesitate to ask for the explanation again, because understanding your own results is the first practical step toward managing your hearing well.

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