There’s a conversation we have in clinic more often than you’d think.
Someone comes in because something isn’t right with their hearing. They’ve had a test before -somewhere else, sometimes more than once – and each time they’ve been told the same thing: your hearing is normal. And yet the noisy café is still a struggle, the ringing hasn’t settled, and a long day of listening still leaves them flat.
They’re usually half-expecting us to say it again.
Here’s what most people are never told: a standard hearing test stops at 8,000 Hz. Human hearing doesn’t.
What is extended high-frequency hearing testing?
A standard audiogram measures how well you detect sounds between roughly 250 and 8,000 Hz. That range covers the pitches most important for speech, which is exactly why it became the standard – it’s genuinely good, well-established testing.
Extended high-frequency audiometry measures above that: 9, 10, 11.2, 12.5, 14 and 16 kHz. It’s the same style of test – you listen for tones and press a button – using equipment calibrated to reach those higher pitches. Not every clinic has it. We do.
Think of it a little like an eye test that only ever checks the top few lines of the chart. Nothing about that test is wrong. It just doesn’t go all the way down the page.
Why does a standard hearing test stop at 8,000 Hz?
Because that’s where most of the information we need for everyday speech sits, and because for decades the equipment to go higher wasn’t widely available.
But the higher frequencies aren’t empty space. They’re often where damage shows up first – from noise exposure, from certain medications that can affect the inner ear, and from the ordinary passage of time. By the time a change reaches the frequencies a standard test measures, it has usually been developing quietly for a while.
Who might benefit from extended high-frequency testing?
It’s worth asking about if you:
- Have been told your hearing is normal, but still find conversation hard work when there’s background noise
- Have tinnitus – ringing or buzzing – alongside a normal-looking hearing test
- Have had significant noise exposure, through work, machinery, music or firearms
- Are taking, or have taken, medication known to affect the inner ear
- Want an early baseline to measure against as the years go on
Research has found that people with clinically normal audiograms but poorer extended high-frequency thresholds have measurably more difficulty understanding speech in noise – and that those who both report and demonstrate that difficulty tend to show raised thresholds specifically around 12.5 and 14 kHz. It may be the missing link between how someone feels and what their audiogram shows.
What does a raised high-frequency result actually mean?
This is the part we want to be straight with you about, because it matters.
Extended high-frequency hearing declines steeply and normally with age. In healthy adults over 40, thresholds at 14 and 16 kHz can be substantially raised and still be entirely typical for their age. So finding a change up there doesn’t automatically mean something has been missed, and it doesn’t automatically mean you have a problem that needs fixing.
What it does give us is a fuller picture – and often, a genuinely reassuring one. Sometimes the honest answer is “this is exactly what we’d expect, and here’s why the noisy café is still hard for you.” That’s an answer too, and it’s a far better place to start from than “everything’s normal, off you go.”
What we do with the result
Extended high-frequency testing isn’t a standalone answer. It sits alongside the rest of what we do: a proper history, testing how you cope with speech against background noise, auditory processing assessment where it’s relevant, and questionnaires that pin down which situations are actually costing you.
Put together, that’s what lets us build a plan around your listening rather than around a single number. Sometimes that plan involves technology. Often it involves communication strategies, listening training, or simply understanding what’s happening. If you’d like the fuller picture on why a normal test and real difficulty can sit side by side, we’ve written about that here.
Extended high-frequency hearing testing on the Gold Coast
Because we’re independent, nobody outside this clinic decides which tests we run or how long we spend with you. That’s the whole reason we can keep looking when a standard result doesn’t match what someone is living with.
If you’ve been told your hearing is fine but you know something isn’t sitting right, come and have the longer conversation. Book online or call us on 07 5619 3007.
Frequently asked questions
What is extended high-frequency audiometry? It’s a hearing test that measures pitches above 8,000 Hz – typically 9 to 16 kHz – beyond the range covered by a standard audiogram. It’s more sensitive to early changes from noise, certain medications and ageing.
Can I have hearing loss with a normal hearing test? You can have a normal standard audiogram and still have genuine, measurable difficulty understanding speech in background noise. Research links this in part to hearing loss in the extended high frequencies, which a standard test doesn’t measure.
Does a raised extended high-frequency result mean my last hearing test was wrong? No. A standard audiogram measures what it’s designed to measure. Extended high-frequency testing simply looks further – and because these frequencies decline naturally with age, a raised result is often age-typical rather than a sign anything was missed.
Is extended high-frequency testing uncomfortable? No. It’s the same as a standard hearing test – you wear headphones, listen for tones, and press a button. It just takes a few extra minutes.
How much does extended high-frequency testing cost? It forms part of a comprehensive hearing assessment. Call us on 07 5619 3007 and we’ll talk you through what your appointment involves.
