Range of Hearing Damage?

[Eric N]

Does anyone know if there is a range for hearing damaged frequencies?

For example can there be a hearing loss at 1900 Hzbut not 2000 Hz or the range going to be wide enough to be detected in a hearing test.

 

[Jason C]

The damage is shown using decibels at different frequencies, typically noise damage shows a notch at 4000hz, so maybe a person with noise damage can hear 3000hz at 10 decibels but 4000hz at 30 decibels then 5000hz at 10 decibels. This would show a 20 decibel loss at 4000hz

Further up the scale towards 20000hz can show more damage. I suffered acoustic trauma which wiped out my higher frequency hearing above 13000hz, this is were I believe tinnitus comes from for me. Nerve damage where the hair cells have been destroyed by Loud noise.

You can get many apps too test your hearing.

 

[Eric N]

The damage is shown using decibels at different frequencies, typically noise damage shows a notch at 4000hz, so maybe a person with noise damage can hear 3000hz at 10 decibels but 4000hz at 30 decibels then 5000hz at 10 decibels. This would show a 20 decibel loss at 4000hz

Further up the scale towards 20000hz can show more damage. I suffered acoustic trauma which wiped out my higher frequency hearing above 13000hz, this is were I believe tinnitus comes from for me. Nerve damage where the hair cells have been destroyed by Loud noise.

You can get many apps too test your hearing.

did you get an extended hearing test? Or just tested by app? In any case the audiologist told me that there is no average hearing level for frequencies beyond 8k so you need to test against yourself

 

[Jason C]

did you get an extended hearing test? Or just tested by app? In any case the audiologist told me that there is no average hearing level for frequencies beyond 8k so you need to test against yourself

Just tested in several different apps. The apps seems to be quite accurate if you use an iPhone as they have been calibrated for the device.
The app I use most is "hearing test and hearing age test"
On all the apps I have used my hearing stops at 13500hz but using the same tests my friend hear past 17000hz and my daughter who is 7 can hear 20000hz

 

[Eric N]

Just tested in several different apps. The apps seems to be quite accurate if you use an iPhone as they have been calibrated for the device.
The app I use most is "hearing test and hearing age test"
On all the apps I have used my hearing stops at 13500hz but using the same tests my friend hear past 17000hz and my daughter who is 7 can hear 20000hz

.

Do you have a noise notch ? At 4k

 

[Jason C]

.

Do you have a noise notch ? At 4k

I did have when I was first tested by a local hearing aid centre 3 months after the trauma, however when I was tested again on the same equipment 6 months later the notch had gone. They say my hearing is normal yet I know it really isn't, it's the frequencies further up that are damaged but the centre only tests up until 8k

 

[Tinker Bell]

Are hearing tests over 8k accurate? Doesn't hearing normally start to drop in ranges above 8k as we age? Would it be possible to tell if it was normal, age-related loss or loss from severe acoustic, ototoxic or viral damage?

I'd think a large drop from normal to profound loss would probably be a red flag for a sudden recent change, but if the loss drops 10, 20 or 30 decibels could it simply be a loss that had been there for a while?

 

[GregCA]

Are hearing tests over 8k accurate? Doesn't hearing normally start to drop in ranges above 8k as we age? Would it be possible to tell if it was normal, age-related loss or loss from severe acoustic, ototoxic or viral damage?

I'd think a large drop from normal to profound loss would probably be a red flag for a sudden recent change, but if the loss drops 10, 20 or 30 decibels could it simply be a loss that had been there for a while?

There are models (probably from actual data from patients collected over the years) that tell you how hearing is supposed to degrade with age. That's the yard stick that doctors are supposed to use to tell you whether your hearing is "above average" or "normal" or "below average" for your age.

 

[Tinker Bell]

There are models (probably from actual data from patients collected over the years) that tell you how hearing is supposed to degrade with age. That's the yard stick that doctors are supposed to use to tell you whether your hearing is "above average" or "normal" or "below average" for your age.

Right. I've looked at graphics online depicting the average slope for different age ranges. It surprised me because I wasn't expecting so much loss to be normal at age ranges under 50.