The wide variety of hearing loss
The most common, age-related hearing loss is called sensorineural hearing loss. The other main type is conductive hearing loss. In addition, the degree of hearing loss that people have covers a very broad spectrum from mild to profound. There are also different combinations and different ways that hearing loss occurs, such as sudden hearing loss, and hearing loss in one ear.
Loading component...
Hearing loss varies from mild to profound
The degree of hearing loss that a person can have is usually categorized into five distinct levels. Any slight hearing loss of 25 dB HL or less is still considered normal hearing.
Mild hearing loss: 26 to 40 dB HL
A bird chirping, a dripping tap and other soft sounds are often difficult to hear with mild hearing loss. So are high-frequency speech sounds, especially in noisy settings.
Moderate hearing loss: 41 to 55 dB HL
A phone ringing or the whirring of a fan may go unnoticed with this hearing loss. Group discussions are more complicated and tiring to follow.
Moderate-to-severe hearing loss: 56 to 70 dB HL
Normal conversations are difficult to hear with moderately severe hearing loss, even in quiet situations. People struggle to hear in most situations if they don’t have a hearing aid.
Severe hearing loss: 71 to 90 dB HL
Music and traffic sounds are muffled, and it is a struggle to follow discussions without concentrating hard. Even one-on-one conversations may sound mumbled and indistinct.
Profound hearing loss: 91 to 100 dB HL
People with profound hearing loss may not be able to hear speech, and only hear very loud sounds.
Would you like to know more about the different levels of hearing loss?