How Often Should You Get a New Audiogram?
Center For Hearing • September 15, 2022
After your first hearing test, you were probably presented with your results on a graph or chart known as an audiogram. While your initial results are important in determining the best treatment options for your hearing loss, you will likely need additional hearing tests as time goes on.
Let’s look at ways to determine if it’s time to get a new audiogram.
What Do Audiograms Measure?
Audiograms plot your hearing thresholds across various frequencies. The x-axis represents frequency in Hertz from lowest to highest. The y-axis represents the loudness of a sound in decibels from very soft to very loud sounds, with the lowest levels at the top of the graph.
They are an effective tool for quantifying the degree of hearing loss, as well as figuring out the type of hearing loss you have. Additionally, they a very easy to compare against one another to see if your hearing has changed over time.
Is it Time for a New Hearing Test?
- Has it been over five years since your last test? If so, you may be due for a new audiogram. Not only is possible that your hearing needs have changed since your last test, but your hearing aids might be lacking the newest technology. These technological advancements can help give you the best personalized listening experience based on your individual needs and preferences.
- Have you experienced a change in health? Certain conditions such as heart disease and diabetes have the potential to cause additional hearing loss if they cause damage to the blood vessels in the inner ear. Other conditions or medications taken to manage certain illnesses can affect hearing as well. Let your audiologist know if you have experienced a change in health to see if they recommend coming in for another evaluation.
- Any changes at work or home? Your listening environment plays a role in your hearing needs. If you have switched to an office with different acoustics or more employees, your needs may be different than when you were working in a quiet home office. Additionally, if you have moved or have more people living with you, these changes could affect the strength of the hearing aid you need.
- Does your hearing seem worse? If it feels as though your hearing aids aren’t helping you pick up speech as well when you’re out at the grocery store or chatting with the barista at Le Petit French Café, make an appointment with your audiologist. It could be a problem with your device, or it could also mean that you need a change in settings or stronger amplification now than you did when you last had an audiogram.
If you would like more information or wish to schedule a hearing test with one of our experts, call Center For Hearing today.
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Hearing technology has come a long way over the years; however, one aspect of hearing loss that many hearing aids have difficulty addressing is trouble understanding speech in noise. Fortunately, some of today’s state-of-the-art devices can solve this problem utilizing deep neural networks (DNN) and artificial intelligence (AI). Sensorineural hearing loss causes difficulty understanding speech in background noise. This type of hearing loss is caused by damage to the hair cells of the inner ear that convert soundwaves into electrical energy, which are then interpreted by the brain. This causes the quality and quantity of the signal sent from the ears to the brain to diminish over time, resulting in the brain expending more energy and effort to make sense of it. DNNs may help improve the transmission of the neural code, making hearing easier on the brain. [1] It’s important to know what DNNs are to understand how they can help. DNNs are a subset of AI. They rapidly analyze large data sets so that they can teach hearing aids and other technological devices how to respond to data like a human would, all while verifying accuracy and making corrections. DNNs are beneficial in hearing technology because they can help with speech enhancement. DNNs can be applied as “time-frequency masks,” meaning select sounds—like speech—are allowed while other sounds are suppressed. DNNs can also identify and separate multiple voices, selecting a primary voice to emphasize and secondary voices to suppress. This feature can help hearing device wearers in a variety of settings. For example, at a restaurant or party, the hearing device can emphasize a conversation partner, allow other nearby voices at a reduced volume and suppress background noises such as dishes clinking. Schedule an appointment to talk to Center for Hearing about our vast state-of-the-art hearing solutions today— (239) 434-0086. [1] Published by Douglas L. Beck. (2021, January 15). Deep neural networks in hearing devices. Retrieved April 2, 2021 from https://www.hearingreview.com/hearing-products/hearing-aids/deep-neural-networks
A Boston biotech startup is attempting to develop the first gene therapy treatment for hearing loss. If successful, it promises to offer new hope to the estimated 300,000 Americans who suffer from gene-based hearing loss—a number that includes more than 4,000 newborns. The timing may not be ideal, but biotech companies have been largely immune from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing recession. Developing new drugs takes years, so these companies are better able to weather storms. And the efforts of biotechnology companies that are focusing on tools to prevent and treat potentially fatal health threats has resulted in soaring stock values for many of these companies, even in the face of the current crisis. Akouos, the Boston startup, was founded in 2016. Its goal is to develop the first gene therapy to treat hearing loss and is targeting a specific form of deafness that results from mutations in a single gene. They are experimenting with adeno-associated viruses, using them as vectors to deliver DNA that encodes a functioning gene in certain target cells. Around 7,000 people are afflicted with this type of genetic hearing loss. Adeno-associated viruses are considered viable candidates because they don’t usually cause disease and can be customized to treat a variety of genetic conditions. The company has partnered with two influential organizations: Massachusetts Eye and Ear and Lonza, a Swiss manufacturing company that holds contracts with various pharmaceutical makers. Manny Simons, Akouos’ co-founder and chief executive, holds a degree in neuroscience from Harvard College, a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and an MBA from Harvard Business School. His desire to help those with hearing loss stems from his passion for playing the piano. “It’s easy to take hearing for granted,” said in a Boston Globe interview. “Maybe because music has been important to me, it’s something that I take a little less for granted.” [1] [1] Saltzman, J. (2020, June 22). Akouos, a startup developing a gene therapy for hearing loss, raises IPO value to $125 million - The Boston Globe. Retrieved June 30, 2020, from https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/06/22/business/ipo-upped-akouos-boston-startup-working-gene-therapy-hearing-loss/
