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Definition - What does Audiogram mean?
An audiogram is a chart measuring pure-tone testing variables covering frequency ranges, or soundwave transmissions categorized by Hertz (Hz), a sampling rate index that gauges high and low pitches of different sounds at fluctuating decibel (i.e. loudness) grades. Hearing sensitivity levels on an audiogram interpret frequency pitch thresholds between 125 Hz (low) and 8,000 Hz (high) with corresponding decibel amplitude (wave cycles), indicating sensorineural changes in overall hearing.SureHire explains Audiogram
An audiologist compares the mean values represented in an audiogram, where a test subject wears headphones and responds to intermittent auditory cues with low/high-frequency pitches, allowing for tone differentials in hearing loss cases. Audiograms establish sound pressure variances attributed to hearing loss that, secondary to health implications (i.e. aging), register nuances in sound clarity between low and high pitches, often compounded by noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) factors. Telltale signs of pronounced hearing loss appear on an audiogram as linear touchpoints showing low-intensity pitches characterized as normal hearing compared with interpreting high-intensity pitches, distorting sounds that can hinder recognizing speech.
An audiogram can help facilitate early detection of progressive hearing loss to compensate for subtle gradations over time, highlighting normal and abnormal hearing patterns where NIHL factors are a common culprit in the workplace.