It's measured in Hertz Hz. When hearing ability is tested, a range of Hz to Hz is measured because it encompasses the speech frequencies, the most important range for communication.
When measured together by your hearing healthcare professional, dB and Hz tell the degree of hearing loss you have in each ear. So how do you know if you have hearing loss — and to what degree? Instead, make an appointment with a qualified hearing healthcare professional. Your family physician may be able to refer you, or you can visit our online directory and find a trusted professional in your community. The hearing healthcare professional will administer a series of hearing tests.
The outcome of the evaluation is known as an audiogram , a graph of the softest sounds you heard during your test. As you can see, hearing thresholds in each ear are not always the same. Based on the outcome and the lifestyle information you provide, the hearing healthcare professional will be able to recommend a course of treatment, which may include the purchase of hearing aids and enrollment in auditory therapy classes.
The good news? Increasingly, research is showing that hearing aids can do far more than just help you hear. They may also make you healthier. Learn more about the health benefits of hearing aids. Debbie Clason holds a master's degree from Indiana University. Her impressive client list includes financial institutions, real estate developers, physicians, pharmacists and nonprofit organizations.
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To figure out your specific hearing range, a hearing professional will perform a hearing test and plot your results on an audiogram.
An audiogram is a chart that shows the results of your hearing test. Your hearing test results are plotted on a graph and then compared with that of a person with normal levels of hearing. Hearing professionals use the audiogram to establish your hearing loss and as a tool for fitting hearing aids. The left ear is plotted with a black line. To find out your level of hearing, a hearing professional will play a series of beeps and ask you to raise your hand or press a button when you can hear them.
The professional will then repeat this with sounds of lower or higher frequencies. This threshold is plotted for both your ears as two separate lines on your audiogram. Your audiogram can tell you a lot about your hearing , including the frequencies you can hear and the volume you can hear them at. This is important to know because each sound you hear has a certain frequency.
Medical Review: William H. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated, disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use.
Learn how we develop our content. To learn more about Healthwise, visit Healthwise. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. Updated visitor guidelines. You are here Home » Harmful Noise Levels. Top of the page. Topic Overview The effects of noise on hearing vary among people. Following is a table of the decibel level of a number of sounds.
Noise levels Noise Average decibels dB Leaves rustling, soft music, whisper 30 Average home noise 40 Normal conversation, background music 60 Office noise, inside car at 60 mph 70 Vacuum cleaner, average radio 75 Heavy traffic, window air conditioner, noisy restaurant, power lawn mower 80—89 sounds above 85 dB are harmful Subway, shouted conversation 90—95 Boom box, ATV, motorcycle 96— School dance — Chainsaw, leaf blower, snowmobile — Sports crowd, rock concert, loud symphony — Stock car races Gun shot, siren at feet As loudness increases, the amount of time you can hear the sound before damage occurs decreases.
Preventing damage to your hearing An easy way to become aware of potentially harmful noise is to pay attention to warning signs that a sound might be damaging to your hearing.
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