When you want to choose headphones, you research them technical specifications, where among others there is the value o. This value is important because it reflects the technical ability of headphones to reproduce frequencies that a person can hear.

If a person’s hearing is not damaged, then he can distinguish sound at frequencies from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz. However, this is ideally real life our range will be different, and what’s more sad, it will be narrower than the classic 20 Hz - 20000 Hz.

What does a person hear and what does hearing health depend on?

The older we get, the worse our hearing becomes. Like everything else in our body, hearing begins to perform its tasks worse with age.

Those who are already about 30 years old can hardly distinguish a sound at a frequency of 20,000 Hz; they simply do not hear it, because hearing began to deteriorate. This is not a disease and not something to seriously worry about, this is how our hearing organ works - it does not recover and only gets worse over time.

By the age of 40, you will most likely no longer be able to distinguish sounds at a frequency of 18,000 Hz or even 17,000 Hz, and by the age of 50 good result It is considered to hear a sound at a frequency of 15,000 Hz.

Of course, each person’s hearing is unique; someone even at 50 years old can hear a sound with a frequency of 17,000 Hz, while others cannot even hear 12,000 Hz.

As I said above, hearing is not restored. The design of the organ is such that special hairs are responsible for irritating the nerve endings, which move when exposed to sound, i.e. air. With age, some hairs die off, while others are irreversibly damaged by listening to loud sounds.

Yes, yes, hearing can be damaged simply by going to concerts frequently, or working as a construction worker with heavy equipment, like a jackhammer, without hearing protection.

Every day we subject our hearing to serious tests, and every day it gets worse. Even a trip on the subway without headphones with active noise reduction slightly worsens our ability to perceive sound every time, and this is irreversible.

Therefore, you need to think about health from a young age, without expecting a noticeable degradation of the ability to hear, because there is no turning back.

Online hearing testing

Well, enough theory, let's check how well you hear different sound frequencies.

For simplicity and clarity, there will be only 4 frequencies that will show your current capabilities.

The fact is that hearing degradation occurs from the edges audible range, provided there was no eardrum injury or disease inner ear.

Thus, it is clear that if changes in hearing have begun, then you will begin to hear worse at the border of the possible, i.e. at a frequency of 20 Hz or 20000 Hz. And the narrower the range, the more your hearing is damaged.

If you hear sound at 20 Hz, then you are fine with the perception of the lower threshold and that’s great. This means your hearing is more or less good condition, but don’t rejoice ahead of time, let’s listen to the following sounds.

Sound at 250 Hz is very important for our life. A lot of sounds from the surrounding world, people and animals sound approximately at this frequency, so if you hear it, then you can live a full life normal life. But if you can’t hear it, this is a reason to immediately consult a doctor; even very old people who have not had hearing injuries can hear this sound well.

Sound at 2 kHz here only for the general picture, it should be heard by absolutely all people who have not had injuries to their hearing organs or their serious illness. This is one of the most loaded frequencies, because Most instruments sound at this frequency. There are also quite a lot of high women's voices use this frequency and therefore it is extremely important for human life.

This is a test piece that reproduces 16 kHz audio. According to statistics, not every person who has lived to be 30 years old can hear this sound. Therefore, if you cannot hear it well and you are over 30 years old, then no big reasons for frustration. Of course, it’s a pity that your hearing has begun to deteriorate, but you are not yet outside the norm and there is no particular reason to worry. Although, of course, going to a doctor and having your hearing tested using professional equipment would not be a bad idea.

Let me just say that I am now 34 years old and I hear sound at a frequency of 16 kHz clearly and distinctly. Perhaps I should praise myself that I hear a little more than my peers.

This is a test recording sound with a frequency of 20 kHz. According to statistics, not all people over 20 years of age can hear it, even if they have never had any injuries or diseases of the hearing organs.

If you are over 20 years old and have not heard anything, do not be upset, this, unfortunately, is normal.

Personally, I no longer hear this frequency, but I am already 34 years old and this is absolutely normal for my age, although, of course, a little sad.

Why hearing testing is important for every person

Of course ours online testing hearing is quite fluent, moreover, it was carried out on your personal equipment, which can cause distortion and disrupt the purity of the experiment.

However, even such testing may make you think about your hearing health. After all, if you are still young, but already have trouble hearing the 16 kHz frequency, then you probably need to see a doctor for a more serious approach to this problem.

Plus, this quick test shows that for people over 30, there's little point in worrying about not listening or having Bluetooth headphones as their primary headphones.

The fact is that codecs for wireless transmission of music from music to save throughput Bluetooth channel, thereby increasing the stability of data transmission. And if you are young and listen to records, then you should think about using quality wired headphones. But if you are already 40 years old or older, then the quality of music transmission via Bluetooth will be enough for you, because... Those frequencies that are artificially cut off during encoding, you most likely will no longer hear and will not feel the difference in sound quality.

As you can see, every cloud has a silver lining. Yes, we are all getting older every year, and our hearing is fading, but now we can listen to comfortable music without a twinge of conscience and not worry about the quality of music transmission; online hearing testing has clearly shown us that this no longer matters much.

The topic of audio is worth talking about human hearing in a little more detail. How subjective is our perception? Is it possible to have your hearing tested? Today you will learn the easiest way to find out whether your hearing fully corresponds to the table values.

It is known that the average person is able to perceive acoustic waves with the organs of hearing in the range from 16 to 20,000 Hz (depending on the source - 16,000 Hz). This range is called the audible range.

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This test is enough to give you a rough estimate, but if you can't hear sounds above 15 kHz, you should see a doctor.

Please note that there is an audibility problem low frequencies, most likely related to .

Most often, the inscription on the box in the style of “Reproducible range: 1–25,000 Hz” is not even marketing, but an outright lie on the part of the manufacturer.

Unfortunately, companies are not required to certify all audio systems, so it is almost impossible to prove that this is a lie. Speakers or headphones may reproduce boundary frequencies... The question is how and at what volume.

Spectrum problems above 15 kHz are a fairly common age-related phenomenon that users are likely to encounter. But 20 kHz (the same ones that audiophiles fight so hard for) is usually heard only by children under 8–10 years old.

It is enough to listen to all files sequentially. For a more detailed study, you can play samples, starting with the minimum volume, gradually increasing it. This will allow you to get a more correct result if your hearing is already slightly damaged (remember that in order to perceive some frequencies it is necessary to exceed a certain threshold value, which, as it were, opens and helps the hearing aid to hear it).

Do you hear the entire frequency range that is capable of?

Hearing testing is carried out by 2 main groups of methods: objective and subjective. Objective methods are based on the occurrence unconditioned reflexes. Subjective methods include acoustic and audiometric methods.

Hearing Test - Assessment Methods

Objective methods of hearing research do not require the direct active participation of the patient and are more often used in pediatric practice (in newborns and children under 3 years of age).

Thus, all newborn children undergo audio screening - the study of hearing by recording otoacoustic emissions.

An objective hearing test is used:

• For diagnosis in disabled people, patients in a comatose state;
• To solve controversial issues examination and rehabilitation.

The acoustic method includes hearing examination using spoken and whispered speech, and examination with tuning forks. The audiometric method is a hearing test using an audiometer. In the practice of an otorhinolaryngologist, both of these methods are used.

Indications for ear examination

Rumor in mandatory checked during medical examinations of workers employed in noisy industries. The test is carried out first using the acoustic method and then using the audiometric method.

Hearing is also required to be checked by the driver's commission.

In pediatric practice, if there are no hearing complaints, the doctor checks the child’s hearing when registering for kindergarten and school. If a patient (adult or child) complains of ear pain, congestion, or hearing loss, an otolaryngologist will conduct a hearing test before and after prescribing treatment.

Diagnosis of eardrums

Let’s imagine a situation: a person came to see an ENT doctor complaining of hearing loss. The doctor collected anamnesis, identified complaints, and performed an examination.

If there are no foreign objects or wax plugs, which often cause hearing loss, the doctor begins to check the hearing analyzer.

Useful information about diseases on video

1. Spoken speech test. The doctor or nurse asks the patient to stand in a certain place in the office, cover one ear with a hand or cotton earplugs, turn to the wall or close his eyes. Why turn away or close your eyes? Many people, without knowing it themselves, can “read” lips.

   Therefore, for the study to be reliable, this “auxiliary” maneuver must be excluded. Once the patient is ready, the doctor comes close and speaks numbers or words in a loud and clear voice. Words and numbers containing both voiced and voiceless consonants are used: cup of tea/cat/mouse and house/girl/frog.

   When testing children's hearing, they often use phrases that children understand, and when testing adults, they use numbers. The doctor gradually steps back from the patient, continuing to speak until the distance between the doctor and the patient is 6 meters.

   Then the same procedure is repeated with the other ear. 6 meters is the minimum distance at which a healthy ear can hear spoken and whispered speech.

2. Whisper speech test. After preparing the patient (the same as for the spoken language test), the doctor or nurse pronounce phrases and numbers in a loud, clear whisper, gradually moving away from the person being tested until the distance between them reaches 6 meters.

   If the person being tested has hearing colloquial speech 6:6 and in whispered speech 6:6 - he is absolutely healthy in hearing and can be hired for any job, even in noisy production. If the hearing is impaired, and at least one ear can hear at a distance of less than 3 meters, such a patient cannot be allowed to work in noisy production and at heights.

   When testing children's hearing, especially preschoolers, it is advisable to pronounce phrases that are familiar to them: names of animals, names fairy-tale heroes. You can not say a word, but ask your child a question that requires an answer, for example: “do you like candy?” etc. (joking check).

3. Tuning fork tests. Testing with tuning forks is not usually used for preventive examinations, and when dealing with complaints of unilateral or bilateral hearing loss. Tuning fork - musical instrument, producing a clear sound of a certain frequency.

   In medicine, tuning forks with a sound frequency of 128 (C128) and 2048 (C2048) per second are mainly used. 3 tuning fork tests are used: Weber, Rinne, Schwabach.

Audiometric test method

Testing on the device is carried out using an audiometer. This device generates a sound signal of different intensities (from 0 to 120 dB) at different frequencies (from 125 Hz to 8000 kHz).

First, air conduction is checked, then bone conduction. The hearing threshold is considered to be the perception of a signal with an intensity of 10 dB at a frequency of 125 Hz.

How is audiometry performed? First, air conductivity is checked - the person being tested is put on headphones and a sound signal of the same intensity at different frequencies is sent to each ear separately, then the intensity increases.

As soon as the patient hears a sound, even the quietest one, he presses the button. The signal is recorded by the audiometer operator and transferred to the audiometric form. Air conduction is recorded for each ear separately.

Then bone conductivity is measured - at mastoid(behind the ear) a special bone microphone is installed, the principle of signal transmission is the same as when measuring air conductivity. Bone conduction is usually lower than air conduction, and there is a small interval between them on the audiogram.

In children's practice, audiometers are sometimes used that produce not just a sound signal, but a word specific for each frequency, constantly increasing the intensity of the sound.

Why does hearing decrease in diseases?

Hearing loss with various diseases can be reversible and irreversible. Reversible changes are most often associated with inflammation of the cells of the outer, middle or inner ear, as well as inflammation and narrowing of the auditory tube.

Irreversible changes are associated with the death of cells of the receptor apparatus or the auditory zone of the cerebral cortex.

The causes of hearing loss can be divided into 2 large groups:

• Violation of sound transmission;
• Impaired sound perception.

Violation of sound conduction is associated with diseases of the sound-conducting apparatus:

• external auditory canal ( otitis externa, sulfur plug, foreign bodies ear canal);
• middle ear (acute and chronic otitis media, exudative otitis media, tubootitis, myringitis);
• inner ear (labyrinthitis).

In all of these diseases, hearing is reduced due to the fact that sound does not travel properly through the ear canal, is not perceived by the eardrum, and is not amplified by the circuit. auditory ossicles etc. Hearing changes due to sound conduction disorders are often reversible and go away after proper treatment.

Sound perception impairment is more complex pathology, since according to various reasons the functioning of the receptor apparatus of the inner ear and/or the auditory zone of the cerebral cortex suffers.

Such changes may be caused by:

1. Trauma: traumatic brain injury, pyramidal fracture temporal bone, barotrauma;
2. Infectious disease, especially in children: influenza, measles, rubella, tick-borne encephalitis;
3. Taking ototoxic drugs: gentamicin, other aminoglycosides;
4. Dysmetabolic disorders: microangiopathy in diabetes mellitus;
5. Age-related changes: as a result of atherosclerotic damage to the vessels of the head and neck, the blood supply to the inner ear suffers and senile hearing loss develops.

Hearing loss due to impaired sound perception is sometimes curable, but requires longer and more persistent treatment with specific drugs:

• neuro- and angioprotectors;
• drugs that improve tissue trophism;
• histamine receptor blockers.

How to test your hearing for the effectiveness of treatment

Improving hearing as a criterion for recovery can be taken into account in the treatment of diseases of the sound-conducting apparatus (otitis media/myringitis, etc.).

In this case, the course of treatment is usually 7-10-14 days, rarely more. And in case of recovery, the patient himself notes an improvement in hearing.

If the sound-receiving apparatus is damaged, reliable criterion The effectiveness of treatment is considered to be an improvement in hearing (according to the results of acumetry and audiometry) with repeated studies after 3 months of taking the prescribed medications.

Possible consequences of hearing loss

A disease associated with hearing impairment is medically called hearing loss. It may vary in severity and cause. Depending on this, hearing loss is temporary or permanent. It may be curable or progressive. Depending on the severity of the hearing loss and when it occurs, the impact on the patient's life will vary.

It is most difficult to determine hearing loss in a child. Most often it manifests itself in a lack of reaction to loud sounds. In this case, the child does not lose hearing completely, but he cannot catch part of the sound spectrum. This situation leads to slow development of speech. The child speaks poorly and has a small vocabulary, often does not respond to requests from adults.

If hearing loss is not treated for a long time, then destructive processes occur in the cerebral cortex. Gradually, the area responsible for hearing begins to decrease in size and completely atrophies. It is no longer possible to restore brain function to its original state.

IN school age this leads to problems during training. Children with moderate and severe hearing loss are forced to study in special schools. They are less adapted to independent life. Light form hearing loss often characterizes patients as inattentive, distracted individuals. It is often said about them that they only hear what they want. At the same time, every day is an increased stress for them, since they have to listen to every word in order to get the full volume of them.

Most serious consequences has moderate to severe hearing loss that cannot be treated or progresses to running form. With moderate severity of the disease, a person tries to take a defensive position, he participates less in public life, begins to gradually isolate. In conversations, the patient either dominates or tries to avoid it.

The more severe your hearing loss becomes, the more difficult it is to hide it from others. In the absence of competent treatment, the patient limits social contacts and avoids public events. Distrust and hostility towards the world around us leads to paranoia and isolation. In some cases, aggression and anger towards loved ones manifests itself.

In cases of severe hearing loss and the absence of treatment for the disease, among the consequences are: complete destruction social life, alcoholism, drug addiction, as an attempt to escape from the surrounding reality. Ultimately, the patient faces a transition to the “deaf” world. Therefore, if hearing problems are detected, it is necessary to promptly diagnose and begin treatment.

How much does a hearing test cost?

Diagnosis of hearing loss can be carried out in a city clinic according to the medical pole or in paid center. In the first case, the procedure will be free, but it may not meet the requirements of a particular situation.

A paid center can conduct a wider range of studies.

1. An examination by an ENT doctor is the first stage in identifying hearing problems. The doctor conducts an examination auricle, explores eardrum for damage. Conducts speech research. The cost of seeing a doctor depends on the chosen medical center ranges from 1000 to 1500 rubles.
2. Study with tuning forks. This examination is necessary to detect air and bone conduction. A set of tuning forks with different tones is used for the study. This method is more subjective, as it completely depends on the professionalism of the doctor. Its cost is about 500 rubles.
3. To determine the volume that a person hears, it is necessary to conduct speech audiometry. The study is carried out in a special soundproof room. All results are recorded on tape. The cost is about 1000 rubles.
4. In serious cases where brain dysfunction is possible, an MRI is necessary. The cost of the examination is about 2000 rubles.
5. Electrocochleography is required to diagnose cochlear activity and auditory nerve. The cost is from 1200 rubles.

Price paid services Diagnosis of hearing loss will differ depending on the chosen medical center. The lowest prices are in government agencies that provide paid services.

Where can you quickly and accurately check your hearing?

The very first hearing test is carried out on a newborn. postpartum department. If the first test was successful, but parents have doubts about the baby’s hearing, you need to contact an ENT doctor in city ​​clinic. The doctor will conduct an examination and carry out the necessary studies.

If there are suspicions of serious abnormalities, he can issue a referral to specialized research institutes. There are 2 centers in Moscow.

1. NCC of Otorhinolaryngology. Located on Volokolamsk highway. The center turns out to be all kinds medical care for ENT diseases. The structure of the complex includes laboratories, research centers, and a clinic. We employ specialists of a wide range of profiles. At the NCC you can not only get advice, but also carry out full examination, implement surgery.
2. Research Institute of Pediatrics. Science Center Children's Health RAMS is a broad-spectrum structure. It includes a clinic, a hospital, and a scientific department. The main task of the research institute is to provide medical care in all main areas.

All studies related to hearing loss can be carried out in paid diagnostic centers. There are these in every city. Main role It is not the name of the clinic that matters, but the training and professionalism of the doctor who will perform the procedure.

What does a hearing test tell you?

Hearing testing may be required at different ages.

Timely implementation diagnostic studies gives its results.

1. In case of acute hearing loss, diagnosis is carried out in a hospital setting. There's an emergency there too complex treatment. More often it is antihistamines, antibiotics, ear drops. Treatment is aimed not only at restoring hearing, but also at eliminating the inflammatory focus.
2. At frequent illnesses in children, especially if they are associated with the growth of adenoids, diagnosis is necessary in order to detect hearing impairment in a timely manner. The appearance of hearing loss is a direct indicator for surgical intervention.
3. Diagnosis of hearing loss caused by infectious diseases, allows you to completely eliminate the source of infection and provide adequate treatment. Timely assistance prevents the progression of the disease. Hearing is restored completely.
4. For abnormalities in the development of hearing organs timely diagnosis allows you to take action in a timely manner. In some situations, surgical intervention or installation is possible hearing aids. Such an adjustment will allow the child to hear the entire spectrum of sounds, therefore, his speech and all parts of the brain will develop harmoniously.

Without diagnosis, hearing loss will gradually progress, which will lead to irreparable consequences in the patient’s life.

It is not necessary to visit a specialist doctor for a basic hearing test. You only need a high-quality Internet connection and audio output equipment ( regular headphones). However, if you suspect hearing problems, it is better to consult a specialist and do not diagnose yourself.

Hearing testing sites usually suggest taking a couple of tests and listening to short sound recordings. Then, based on your answers to questions in tests or how often you turned up the volume on the site while listening to recordings, the service creates an approximate picture of your hearing. However, everywhere (even on the hearing testing sites themselves) they do not recommend trusting these tests 100%. If you suspect hearing loss and/or the service has not provided the best results, please visit a qualified healthcare professional.

Method 1: Phonak

This site specializes in helping people who have hearing problems, plus it distributes modern sound devices own production. In addition to tests, here you can find several useful articles, which will help you solve current hearing problems or avoid them in the future.

To perform testing, use these step-by-step instructions:

Method 2: Stopotit

This is a site dedicated to hearing problems. In this case, you are asked to take two tests to choose from, but they are small and involve listening to certain signals. Their margin of error is very high due to many reasons, so you should not trust them completely.

The instructions for the first test look like this:

The second test is a little more extensive and can give the correct result. Here you will need to answer a couple of questions from the questionnaire and listen to the names of objects with background noise. The instructions look like this:

Method 3: Geers

Here you will be asked to listen to sounds of different frequencies and volumes. There are no special differences from the previous two services.

The applications that we will discuss below will help you understand how normal your hearing is. If the results are far from optimal, it makes sense to consult a doctor.

uHear

uHear measures your hearing sensitivity and how well you adapt to environmental noise. The first test takes approximately five minutes, the second - no more than a minute. For each test you will need headphones, and in the application you can choose their type - in-ear or on-ear.

The test determines the sensitivity of each ear separately. This is achieved by playing noise of different frequencies and determining the upper and lower limits of your hearing.

Hortest

Hörtest for Android works on the same principle. You need to press the button every time you hear sound in the headphones. I'll say the obvious, but don't fool yourself and don't press a button just to improve your test results. You go through it for yourself.

Mimi Hearing Test

Mimi Hearing Technologies is a company that produces equipment for deaf people. If you have an iOS device, I would recommend taking this test. The application works on a similar principle to the previous ones. Every time you hear a sound in your left or right ear, you need to press the Left or Right button, respectively. The test result is your age based on hearing sensitivity. If it matches your real age, great. If the difference is very large, then your hearing is not normal.

Bonus

If you don't have iOS or Android devices, you can use this video test on YouTube. As with all previous applications, headphones are required.

Tell us at what point you stopped hearing sounds and how old you are.