Final answer:
An audiogram is a graphic representation of hearing sensitivity, where thresholds of loudness are plotted across different frequencies. It is essential for diagnosing different types of hearing loss, including those from noise exposure and age-related decline.
Step-by-step explanation:
A graphic depiction of a person's hearing sensitivity where pure tone thresholds are obtained and charted on a grid is known as an audiogram. Audiograms represent the threshold of hearing sensitivity across various frequencies, usually ranging from 250 to 8000 Hz. This is a crucial tool in audiology to assess and illustrate individuals' hearing capabilities.
In an audiogram, intensity levels are plotted along the vertical axis, measured in decibels (dB), and frequencies are plotted along the horizontal axis, measured in hertz (Hz). An audiogram can reveal normal hearing levels, represented as 0 dB across all frequencies, and patterns of hearing loss, such as those associated with noise exposure, which often show a dip in thresholds near the 4000 Hz frequency. Other conditions, like presbycusis or age-related hearing loss, are characterized by a progressive loss of higher frequency hearing, and can be seen as a slope on the audiogram indicating worse hearing at higher frequencies.
Bone conduction testing, indicated by brackets on an audiogram, helps differentiate between nerve damage and middle ear damage.