Tracking audiogram changes over time

Hearing Loss
1

When I get a new hearing test, I’m always interested in how my hearing has changed over time. The standard audiogram report does not show this. I can find a copy of my previous audiogram and compare the two pieces of paper, but it is hard to really see what has changed, especially when the right and left ears are shown on the same graph.

So I’ve taken to entering the results in a spreadsheet and creating graphs of the changes over time. I have separate graphs for the left and right ear. Here are the results of my two most recent hearing tests:

Audiogram Compare - 2 most recent
Audiogram Compare - 2 most recent799×314 13 KB

Questions for the forum: Do others find this kind of thing useful? Do you know of existing online tools for this? Would it be useful for me to share a copy of my Excel spreadsheet for others to modify?

3 Likes
2

I don’t think it’s useful unless you like to do It. Your hearing loss has gradually worsened over 8 years which is not unexpected. Note: Your graphs are a little confusing in that red often means right ear and blue means left ear but you’re using it to mean different times.

3 Likes
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What I would like to know is did you do anything to protect your hearing after the first test, and did you have any bouts with a disease between the first test and the second test that would cause your hearing to get worse?

4

Thanks for the feedback! I admit that I am a data nerd!

I was concerned about breaking the red=right, blue=left convention. Sorry for the confusion.

5

User990 - there is more to the story. I’ve been wearing HAs for over 24 years. My hearing loss has very gradually worsened over that time, but most notably with the last hearing test:

Audiogram Compare - all
Audiogram Compare - all796×311 20.9 KB

I’ve been careful to protect my hearing during this period and there have been no disease episodes that might have contributed. My audiologist thinks it is normal aging (I’m 74).

Thanks for asking!

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6

It’s possible it’s an error. I recently had an audiogram that was notably worse and when repeated was back to my recent baseline.

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7

When I worked petrochemical we were given annual physicals. A hearing test was part of it… if we had a shift of 10 DB at any frequency we were sent out to an ENT for better testing to try and figure out why hearing had gotten worse. I went often.
This company felt it was important to trend hearing loss. Not exactly sure why. Maybe a liability thing?

3 Likes
8

Can you keep all the left ones blue and all the right ones red but just make the older lines hashed or dotted or more transparent? :laughing:

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9

I worked in industry…they tested my hearing. The admission…increase in hearing claims would become the future “bad back” expense as employees aged.
I often worked in areas with 110 dB

I have had a workman’s compensation claim for almost 20 years. Canada/Ontario

1 Like
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Messes me up. Left is Port at sea; Red…

But I’m colourblind; I often can’t see red or green.