If you’ve had a hearing test, you might have been handed a chart covered in lines and dots. That chart is called an audiogram, and it’s basically a picture of how well you hear. An audiogram shows the results of your test in a visual way. Along the bottom, or the horizontal line, you’ll see different pitches. These run from low sounds, like a drum, to high sounds like birds chirping. Up the side, or the vertical line, it shows how loud a sound needs to be before you can hear it.
You will listen to a series of beeps
These will play through headphones, and you press a button whenever you hear one. Each time you respond, it gets marked on the chart. Over time, those marks form a pattern that shows your hearing levels. You’ll usually see circles and crosses on the audiogram. These represent each ear. One side might be stronger than the other, which is common. The closer the marks are to the top of the chart, the better your hearing is at that pitch. If they drop lower, it means sounds need to be louder for you to hear them.
An audiologist Taunton such as https://www.imperialhearing.com/audiologist-near-me/taunton can help you to identify any hearing issues. Loud music too can have a detrimental impact on your hearing.
It might look technical at first
The test is actually really useful. It helps audiologists understand exactly where any hearing loss is and what type it might be. It is a way of turning what you hear into something you can actually understand.