While there are many ways to determine the strength of an individual’s hearing, many can be difficult to understand without a deeper knowledge about what the data means and how it translates to strong or weak hearing.
The four-frequency pure tone average (PTA4), or ‘Hearing Number,’ not only makes it simpler for the average person to understand how their hearing might compare to others, it also allows them to track their hearing number throughout their life to remove stigma around poor hearing and treat it in a similar way to eyesight's 20/20 vision.
An individual’s Hearing Number represents the softest sound that person is able to hear, with a higher number meaning that a sound must be louder for that person to hear it. Hearing Numbers can range from -10 to more than 85 decibels.
Hearing Numbers also allow an individual to be more aware of the strength of their hearing throughout their life, rather than only thinking about it as they age. Averages can vary largely depending on the age of the individual, from a Hearing Number of five at 20 years old to a Hearing Number of 35 by the time a person reaches 80.
One of the advantages of using Hearing Numbers over other systems for testing hearing is how universal the test can be. While many methods of testing hearing can vary based on the spoken language of an individual, the PTA4 method is both consistent across languages and is beginning to be adopted worldwide.
Hearing care professionals like those at Burlington's ‘Hearing Well Matters’ clinic, provide hearing tests at no-cost and no-obligation. Learn more at 905-681-HEAR (4327).
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