Audiogram

The audiogram is a graph showing the results of a pure-tone hearing test. It will show how loud sounds need to be at different frequencies for you to hear them. The audiogram shows the type, degree, and configuration of hearing loss.

When you hear a sound during a hearing test, you raise your hand or push a button. The audiologist will make a note of how loud the sound was at each frequency. At the end of testing, the audiogram will show what you heard.

The audiogram shows the pattern of your hearing loss. It also shows how severe it is, called the degree of hearing loss. For example, your hearing might be normal for low pitches but not for high pitches. In this case, you might hear speech, but it would not sound clear. If you have hearing loss at all pitches, you might have problems hearing any speech.

The audiologist marks what you hear in your right ear with a red O. What you hear in your left ear gets a blue X. If the Xs and Os are at the top of the graph, your hearing is normal. You have a hearing loss if the Xs and Os are farther down the graph.