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A human ear with normal hearing can detect a very wide range of frequencies from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz.
The standard hearing test concentrates only on the range of frequencies relevant for understanding speech:
250 Hz to 8000 Hz.
A hearingcare professional tests hearing in a quiet
test environment
with a specially calibrated audiometer, using specific procedures. Each ear is tested separately since
the extent of any damage may be different in each ear.
The hearing range
of the test
ear is compared to the normal hearing range. The key observations for the different frequencies are
"at what level do I begin to hear the sound" and "at what level does the sound become
uncomfortably loud". The result is presented in the form of an audiogram.
The
hearingcare professional can explain the meaning of the results and the effect of a particular loss
on everyday life and communication, and provide information and guidance on the decision concerning
hearing instruments
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