The results of your hearing test will be printed out on a chart known as an audiogram. You can think of this audiogram as your hearing prescription: it details what type of hearing loss you have, the severity of hearing loss, your hearing thresholds and whether hearing loss is unilateral (in one ear) or bilateral (in both ears). Here’s how your audiologist will use this knowledge to create a personalized hearing loss care plan for you.
Type of Hearing Loss
There are three broad categories of hearing loss: sensorineural, conductive and mixed. The type of hearing loss you have depends on where in the auditory process the damage or dysfunction is. If your inner ear or auditory nerve is damaged, sound cannot be transmitted to the brain for processing; this is sensorineural hearing loss, the most common type. If the outer or middle ear is obstructed or damaged, it is a conductive hearing loss. Mixed hearing loss occurs when there’s some combination of sensorineural and conductive hearing loss.
The type of hearing loss you have will determine what kind of hearing loss treatment you need. Sensorineural hearing loss most often requires hearing aids or other hearing devices, such as cochlear implants. Conductive hearing loss may also be treated with hearing devices, or it could require earwax removal, medication or surgery. Mixed hearing loss could require any of these, or perhaps a combination.
Hearing Loss Severity
Hearing loss is a spectrum: it ranges from mild to moderate to severe to profound. Mild hearing loss means you might have difficulty hearing soft sounds or following conversations in loud environments. People with moderate hearing loss also struggle with soft sounds and may struggle to understand speech, especially in noisy places. Severe hearing loss may make it challenging to hear most sounds, even in quiet places. Profound hearing loss is characterized by the inability to hear even very loud sounds without aid.
If your treatment plan will require hearing aids or another device, the severity of your hearing loss will help you and your audiologist select the appropriate device. There are several different hearing aid styles, and they all have their own capabilities, so you’ll need a pair that can meet the needs of your severity of hearing loss.
Hearing Thresholds
Your hearing threshold is defined as the minimum sound level of a tone that you can hear. Your audiogram will chart your thresholds for a range of tones, from low (like a dog barking) to high (like birds chirping).
Your hearing thresholds for each tone will inform your audiologist on what tones you need amplified, and they will adjust the settings on your hearing aids accordingly. This is where your treatment really becomes personalized, because we can fine-tune what your hearing aids can do, rather than just “turning the volume up” on everything. This will create a balanced listening experience that’s not dissimilar to how you would hear if there were no hearing loss.
Unilateral or Bilateral
In addition to personalizing your hearing aids by pitch, we can also personalize them by ear. If one ear can hear more strongly than the other, we can use the settings on your hearing aids to even them out. Or, if you have unilateral hearing loss and only need a hearing device on one ear, we can ensure that you get the appropriate device.
Your Personalized Care Plan
We at Charleston ENT & Allergy specialize in creating treatment plans tailored to your needs. Your hearing test is just the first step. Call today to make an appointment.