Fact of the Day
Audiology Vocabulary
What is an 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.
What is Pitch and Frequency?
Each line that runs from left to right shows a frequency in Hertz, or Hz. The lowest pitches are on the left side and the highest pitches are on the right side. The frequencies tested are 125 Hz, 250 Hz, 500 Hz, 1000 Hz, 2000 Hz, 3000Hz, 4000 Hz, and 8000 Hz.
Examples of "low-frequency" sounds are a rumble of thunder, a tuba, and sounds like the "oo" in "who." Examples of "high-frequency" sounds are a bird chirping, a whistle, and the "s" sound in "sun."
What is a Decibel (loudness or intensity)?
Each line from top to bottom shows how loud the sound is in decibels, or dB. Lines at the top of the chart are for soft sounds. Lines at the bottom of the chart are for loud sounds. Examples of soft sounds are a clock ticking, a person whispering, and leaves rustling. Examples of loud sounds are a lawnmower, a car horn, and a rock concert. 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.
Source- American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
