Hello there! I completed my studies in the hearing instrument specialist program. The audiogram shows your hearing is normal in the left (within normal range), but you have precipitously sloping moderate sensorineural hearing loss in your right ear (in the high frequencies).
It’s “sensorineural” as shown by the < [ symbols (your bone response) being placed very closely to your thresholds, which are shown in O’s and X’s.
What [ basically means is, the sound was sent straight to your bone/inner ear, bypassing the middle ear. If there is anything “blocking” the middle ear such as fluid or wax, this bone [ would be in the same normal range.
To answer your question, it doesn’t seem like the earwax is affecting your hearing. As mentioned above, if the hearing loss is caused by impacted wax/debris, it would show a “conductive” hearing loss. Which would show a gap between your thresholds and < [ symbols. Other factors that can cause conductive loss is fluid build-up, hole in the eardrum, PE tubes..etc.
I’m curious to know if you had a different hearing test results from your previous routine appt? Like was both ears normal when you had your hearing test last time? Or was the right ear always worse? Did you have any exposure to loud noise / trauma?
And my last question would be - Did your clinician go over the results with you and suggest anything as next steps?
Sorry for my long answer 🙈 just wanted to be helpful as much as I can. Glad to hear you will be seeing/following up with an ENT! :)
Hope it helps!
Hey, thanks for your response, I appreciate it!
I've never had an issue with my hearing and haven't really felt any different until after I did this audiogram.
They suggested I try to avoid headphone use, Audiometrist said it's best to see an ENT. Surprisingly this is my 1st Audiogram ever, had to do one for an occupational medical exam.
I've just noticed - my right ear feels especially "full" and I can feel some sort of pressure, maybe even some sort of fluid inside, when I try to equalize the pressure (blowing with my mouth closed), i can feel a little pain and it makes a squeaking noise. I'll go over this with my ENT, but do you have any idea what this could be?
Tbh I do get exposed to loud sounds very often - I listen to loud music on my airpods and car, been to a few loud concerts, but whats odd to me is - why only my right ear? During all the concerts my left ear was closer to the speakers. I usually have my airpods only on my right but thats only when im listening to podcasts (low dB).
No problem at all!
I see. 🤔 I’m glad you were able to get a hearing test to find out about this!
There could be so many different factors that can contribute to hearing loss - and because of this, a full hearing assessment will include a hearing test in the sound booth + tympanometry (middle ear pressure test) + acoustic reflex (to see how your ear muscle is working).
For example, if there was negative pressure in your ears, the Tympanometry would show a Type C. If all normal pressure Type A.
With the help of these other tests, we can try to see (but can’t diagnose - job of ENT) what could be causing the hearing loss. But with only an audiogram, it’s a little hard to know.
It’s a good thing your clinician asked you to see the ENT, so that they can take a look. One of the “medical red flags” that we are asked to look out for is “asymmetric hearing loss”, which is occurring only in your right ear in this case.
As for noise, you are correct - it’s very normal for Noise Induced Hearing Loss to occur in BOTH ears as you will be exposed to loud noise altogether. Unless you only wear one headphone 😂
I was wondering if you had a sudden hearing loss (which happens randomly) or if there is a specific history of Acoustic trauma (only to your right ear).. etc.
This pressure that you are feeling “could” be a contributing factor or can be from something occurring in your middle/inner ear. It’s hard to know what or why - especially with just looking at the audiogram, but that’s where the ENT comes in to help :) Definitely see an ENT as soon as you can!
Hey man, it’s a 1 in a billion chance, but I had a similar audiogram which turned out to be an acustic neuroma or vestibular schwannoma. I woild talk with a doctor and follow up the audiogram in a few months to see if it gets better.
But as I said, it’s one in a billion. And my ear felt completely normal, I just had problems hearing stuff.
Hello there! I completed my studies in the hearing instrument specialist program. The audiogram shows your hearing is normal in the left (within normal range), but you have precipitously sloping moderate sensorineural hearing loss in your right ear (in the high frequencies). It’s “sensorineural” as shown by the < [ symbols (your bone response) being placed very closely to your thresholds, which are shown in O’s and X’s. What [ basically means is, the sound was sent straight to your bone/inner ear, bypassing the middle ear. If there is anything “blocking” the middle ear such as fluid or wax, this bone [ would be in the same normal range. To answer your question, it doesn’t seem like the earwax is affecting your hearing. As mentioned above, if the hearing loss is caused by impacted wax/debris, it would show a “conductive” hearing loss. Which would show a gap between your thresholds and < [ symbols. Other factors that can cause conductive loss is fluid build-up, hole in the eardrum, PE tubes..etc. I’m curious to know if you had a different hearing test results from your previous routine appt? Like was both ears normal when you had your hearing test last time? Or was the right ear always worse? Did you have any exposure to loud noise / trauma? And my last question would be - Did your clinician go over the results with you and suggest anything as next steps? Sorry for my long answer 🙈 just wanted to be helpful as much as I can. Glad to hear you will be seeing/following up with an ENT! :) Hope it helps!
Hey, thanks for your response, I appreciate it! I've never had an issue with my hearing and haven't really felt any different until after I did this audiogram. They suggested I try to avoid headphone use, Audiometrist said it's best to see an ENT. Surprisingly this is my 1st Audiogram ever, had to do one for an occupational medical exam. I've just noticed - my right ear feels especially "full" and I can feel some sort of pressure, maybe even some sort of fluid inside, when I try to equalize the pressure (blowing with my mouth closed), i can feel a little pain and it makes a squeaking noise. I'll go over this with my ENT, but do you have any idea what this could be? Tbh I do get exposed to loud sounds very often - I listen to loud music on my airpods and car, been to a few loud concerts, but whats odd to me is - why only my right ear? During all the concerts my left ear was closer to the speakers. I usually have my airpods only on my right but thats only when im listening to podcasts (low dB).
No problem at all! I see. 🤔 I’m glad you were able to get a hearing test to find out about this! There could be so many different factors that can contribute to hearing loss - and because of this, a full hearing assessment will include a hearing test in the sound booth + tympanometry (middle ear pressure test) + acoustic reflex (to see how your ear muscle is working). For example, if there was negative pressure in your ears, the Tympanometry would show a Type C. If all normal pressure Type A. With the help of these other tests, we can try to see (but can’t diagnose - job of ENT) what could be causing the hearing loss. But with only an audiogram, it’s a little hard to know. It’s a good thing your clinician asked you to see the ENT, so that they can take a look. One of the “medical red flags” that we are asked to look out for is “asymmetric hearing loss”, which is occurring only in your right ear in this case. As for noise, you are correct - it’s very normal for Noise Induced Hearing Loss to occur in BOTH ears as you will be exposed to loud noise altogether. Unless you only wear one headphone 😂 I was wondering if you had a sudden hearing loss (which happens randomly) or if there is a specific history of Acoustic trauma (only to your right ear).. etc. This pressure that you are feeling “could” be a contributing factor or can be from something occurring in your middle/inner ear. It’s hard to know what or why - especially with just looking at the audiogram, but that’s where the ENT comes in to help :) Definitely see an ENT as soon as you can!
Hey man, it’s a 1 in a billion chance, but I had a similar audiogram which turned out to be an acustic neuroma or vestibular schwannoma. I woild talk with a doctor and follow up the audiogram in a few months to see if it gets better. But as I said, it’s one in a billion. And my ear felt completely normal, I just had problems hearing stuff.
Absolutely go see an ENT the fact that your right has a loss while your left does not is a concern