At Clarity Hearing Care, we believe knowledge is power—especially when it comes to your hearing health. If you’ve recently had a hearing test, you may have received an audiogram filled with numbers and symbols that seem confusing at first glance. But don’t worry—we’re here to help you make sense of it all!
Every hearing exam at Clarity Hearing Care is 100% free of charge, and if your results indicate that hearing aids are the right solution for you, we also provide a free hearing aid fitting based on your specific type and severity of hearing loss.
Let’s dive into what your audiometric exam results really mean.
What Is an Audiometric Exam?
A hearing exam measures how well you hear different sounds, frequencies, and speech. The results are plotted on an audiogram, a visual representation of your hearing ability.
An audiogram helps determine:
✅ How well you hear low vs. high-pitched sounds
✅ The softest sounds you can hear
✅ If you have hearing loss, and if so, its type and severity
✅ How your hearing compares to everyday sounds
Understanding your results is the first step toward better hearing.
How to Read Your Audiogram
An audiogram is a graph that shows:
📈 Pitch (Frequency) on the Horizontal Axis – Measured in Hertz (Hz), this represents low (deep) to high (sharp) sounds.
📉 Loudness (Intensity) on the Vertical Axis – Measured in decibels (dB), this represents how soft or loud a sound must be for you to hear it.
Each ear is tested separately, with:
Red O's representing your right ear (air conduction).
Blue X's representing your left ear (air conduction).
In addition to these, your audiogram may also include bone conduction results, which help determine whether your hearing loss is conductive, sensorineural, or mixed:
What Do Air and Bone Conduction Results Tell Us?
Air conduction (O's and X's) measures how well sound travels through your entire auditory system—from your outer ear, through your middle ear, to your inner ear.
Bone conduction (⟨ and ⟩ symbols) bypasses the outer and middle ear by sending vibrations directly to the inner ear (cochlea).
Comparing these two results helps determine the type of hearing loss:
✅ If both air and bone conduction results show the same degree of hearing loss → Sensorineural Hearing Loss (due to inner ear or nerve damage).
✅ If bone conduction results are better than air conduction results → Conductive Hearing Loss (caused by issues in the outer or middle ear, such as earwax buildup or fluid behind the eardrum).
✅ If there’s a combination of both → Mixed Hearing Loss (a mix of conductive and sensorineural factors).
This part of your audiometric exam helps pinpoint where your hearing loss is occurring, which guides us in recommending the best treatment options.
The Speech Banana: Why Clarity Matters
When looking at your audiogram, you may notice an area shaped like a banana in the middle of the chart. This is called the Speech Banana, and it represents the range of sounds essential for understanding everyday speech.
What Is the Speech Banana?
The Speech Banana is the region where most consonants and vowels in spoken language naturally fall. If your hearing loss affects this area, you may struggle to understand words, even if you can still hear certain sounds.
🔹 Low-pitched sounds (left side of the audiogram) – These include vowel sounds (A, E, I, O, U) and deeper noises like thunder or a dog barking. People with hearing loss in this range may feel like speech is muffled but can still detect volume changes.
🔹 High-pitched sounds (right side of the audiogram) – This includes important consonants like S, F, Th, Sh, and K, which provide clarity in speech. If you struggle in this range, conversations may sound unclear, even if they seem loud enough.
Since speech clarity depends on these high-frequency consonants, hearing loss in the upper Speech Banana can make it difficult to distinguish between words like "cat" and "hat" or "see" and "she."
Why Preserving Clarity Matters
Hearing loss isn’t just about volume—it’s about clarity. Many people with hearing loss say, “I can hear, but I can’t understand.” That’s because missing high-frequency speech sounds can cause words to blur together.
🎵 Example: Imagine listening to music where only the bass is clear, but the lyrics are missing. That’s what high-frequency hearing loss can feel like.
👂 Early intervention is key! The longer your brain goes without hearing certain speech sounds, the harder it becomes to process them—even with hearing aids. That’s why treating hearing loss sooner rather than later is crucial for preserving speech clarity.
Next Steps After Your Hearing Test
At Clarity Hearing Care, we make the process simple:
✅ Our hearing exams are always 100% free. There’s no cost, no obligation—just clear answers about your hearing health.
✅ If your results indicate hearing loss, we offer a free hearing aid fitting, ensuring you get the best solution based on your unique needs.
✅ If needed, we guide you through next steps, from discussing treatment options to protecting your hearing for the future.
Take Control of Your Hearing Today
Your hearing health is too important to ignore. Whether you're experiencing noticeable difficulties or just want peace of mind, our free exam is a great first step.
📅 Schedule your free hearing exam today!
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