Audiogram interpretation
Thu, Oct 8, 2026 · Week 7 · Genetics of Disease (Medical Interventions)
Today's goal: Read an audiogram to describe the type and severity of a patient's hearing loss using decibel and frequency language.
This is a model of the work you should turn in today. Use it to check your own: match the structure and the level of detail, do not copy it. Your data and wording should be your own.
I labeled the axes: frequency in hertz across the top (low pitch on the left, high pitch on the right) and loudness in decibels down the side (soft at the top, loud at the bottom). I plotted Patient A's right-ear thresholds from the data table.
What the plot shows: Patient A hears low frequencies at about 30 dB but needs high frequencies (2000 to 4000 Hz) turned up to 55 to 65 dB before hearing them. That high-frequency region overlaps part of the speech banana, so this patient would miss soft consonant sounds like s, f, and th while still hearing vowels.
Classification: I set the degree from the pure-tone average of 500, 1000 and 2000 Hz: (35 + 45 + 55) / 3 = 45 dB HL, which is a moderate hearing loss on the scale. The loss is worse at high frequencies, where 4000 Hz sits at 65 dB HL, in the moderately severe band. So: a moderate, high-frequency sloping loss in the right ear.
Patient A is a practice patient; your patient's thresholds and average will differ.
| Frequency (Hz) | Right-ear threshold (dB HL) |
|---|---|
| 250 | 30 |
| 500 | 35 |
| 1000 | 45 |
| 2000 | 55 |
| 4000 | 65 |
This model shows the level of evidence and organization needed to complete: Completes the audiogram reading task: a labeled audiogram with plotted thresholds, the speech banana marked, and a one-sentence severity classification with evidence.
- Name the variables and include units.
- Enter observations without changing the raw values.
- Check labels, calculations, and patterns before interpreting the data.
Keep the structure. Replace the question, facts, measurements, and evidence. Then recheck units, vocabulary, and whether the conclusion goes beyond the evidence.
Also due today: Submit your annotated audiogram and classification in Schoology.
Turn in: Labeled audiogram with both ears plotted, the speech banana marked, the pure-tone average for each ear, and a one-sentence severity classification with its evidence.
Go to Schoology to turn this in.
Submit one PDF. Schoology attaches your name to your upload; on the page itself, write your period and code. Name the file: FirstName LastName - Assignment Title - YYYY-MM-DD.pdf.
Open Schoology PDF upload helpIf you cannot get in, see Mr. Mendoza. Do not skip the work.
Claim ceiling: Today's evidence supports a classroom claim about audiogram interpretation. It cannot prove causation, diagnose a real patient, or justify action outside this room.
One exam-style question that uses exactly what you practiced today. Try it before you reveal the answer, then read why each choice is right or wrong.
| Degree | Pure-tone average (dB HL) |
|---|---|
| Normal | up to 25 |
| Mild | 26-40 |
| Moderate | 41-55 |
| Moderately severe | 56-70 |
| Severe | 71-90 |
| Profound | 91 and above |
Tap an answer to see the full explanation. Nothing is recorded or graded.
It builds this reusable test skill: Setting hearing-loss degree from the pure-tone average.
- Name the concept or data pattern being tested.
- Cross out choices that violate that rule or the evidence.
- Justify the best remaining choice before checking the answer.