Degree of Hearing Loss

Light: 15dB-25dB

This level of hearing loss is defined as “slight” hearing loss. Annual hearing tests are recommended to monitor your hearing status.

Mild: 25dB-40dB

In environments like restaurants, speech may sound loud but unclear. Consonants like s, t, th, and f, which constitute 25% of speech, become difficult to discern. Words like “thirsty,” “taste,” “past,” “she,” “almost,” and “first” may be misunderstood. For instance, “house” may sound like “how,” “teeth” like “tee,” “said” like “ad,” “Nice” like “Eye,” and “beer” like “deer,” “fear,” or “near.” This level of hearing loss results from permanent damage to outer hearing cells of the cochlea, making it challenging to distinguish between frequencies, particularly in noisy environments.

Hearing aids can amplify speech, but they cannot restore frequency perception. Advanced technology hearing aids with various features can enhance speech intensity relative to background noise, making soft sounds louder.

Moderate: 41dB-55dB

Soft speech, such as the sound of a car’s turn signal, becomes inaudible due to permanent damage to outer hearing cells in the cochlea. Close-frequency sounds like B/P, T/D, K/G, F/V, and S/Z are harder to distinguish, as the auditory system has lost its sharpness. Partial damage or bending of inner hearing cells further impairs signal transmission to the brain, necessitating the use of hearing aids for conversational speech.

Moderately Severe: 56-70dB

At this level, both outer and inner hair cells are damaged, making consonants in speech inaudible without hearing aids. While vowels remain audible due to their sound energy, understanding speech becomes challenging. Proper treatment can make speech audible again.

Severe: 71-90dB

Only very loud sounds are audible at this level. Although hearing aids may lose effectiveness in improving speech understanding, they can help with environmental sounds. Lipreading, combined with powerful hearing aids, can enhance speech comprehension.

Profound: Greater than 91dB

At this level, the world is quiet, and hearing aids may not effectively improve speech listening. However, they can enhance lip-reading skills and aid in hearing environmental sounds. Cochlear implants may be considered as a solution.