Hearing Tests and Audiograms: What Is Measured and How to Read It
In short. A hearing test measures the softest sounds you can hear at different pitches, how well you understand speech, and how the middle ear works. The results are drawn on an audiogram. These pages explain how to prepare, what happens during each test, and how to read the chart you are given.
Questions this topic answers
- How do I read my audiogram?
- What should I note down and bring to a hearing test?
- What does each common hearing test measure?
New to the topic? Start with Preparing for a Hearing Test: What to Note Down and Bring.
All pages in this topic
- How to Read an Audiogram: Your Hearing Test Chart, ExplainedHow to read an audiogram: what the two axes mean, what O and X stand for, what the shape of the lines can show, and what an audiogram does not tell you.
- Preparing for a Hearing Test: What to Note Down and BringA hearing test needs little preparation, but a few notes make it more useful: when changes began, which situations are hardest, ear history, medicines, noise exposure and your questions.