DEGREES OF HEARING LOSS

How severe is your hearing loss?

Each person has a unique type and level of hearing loss, and some hearing aids may work better for you than others. Your hearing professional will take into account your degree and type of hearing loss when recommending a type of hearing aid.

HEARING LOSS CHART

Hearing loss levels	Degrees of hearing loss described in decibels	In terms of verbal communication, this would generally suggest:	Sounds you could be missing
Minimal	11 to 25 dB	Few difficulties	Water dripping
Mild	26 to 40 dB	Difficulty hearing faint or distant speech	A ticking clock
Moderate	41 to 55 dB	Cannot hear faint speech, difficulty at conversational speech	Vacuum cleaner
Moderately severe	56 to 70 dB	Cannot hear faint speech, difficulty at conversational speech	Dog barking
Severe	71 to 90 dB	Cannot hear conversational speech, difficulty with loud speech	Baby crying
Profound	91 dB and over	Cannot hear loud speech, difficulty hearing loud sounds	Airplanes

LEVELS OF HEARING LOSS

There are typically six degrees of hearing loss which your hearing care professional will use to describe your hearing loss at different frequencies.

You should feel free to discuss the audiogram with your hearing care professional. Ask which sounds (frequencies) and which loudness (intensity) you are able to hear.

This information can give you a good start in understanding your unique way of hearing the world around you.

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There are four shapes of hearing loss that you could be experiencing.

Bilateral vs. unilateral
Bilateral involves hearing loss in both ears, while unilateral hearing loss is only in one ear.
Symmetrical vs. asymmetrical
Symmetrical means that your level and type of hearing loss is the same in both ears. Asymmetrical means that your ears have different types or levels of hearing loss.
Progressive vs. sudden hearing loss
Progressive hearing loss gets worse over time, while sudden hearing loss happens spontaneously – like after being exposed to a very loud noise.
Fluctuating vs. stable hearing loss
Fluctuating hearing loss can get better or worse over time, while stable hearing loss will stay the same.

talk with a hearing care professional

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THINK YOU HAVE A HEARING LOSS?

Test your hearing now. Our free online hearing test is very easy to complete, and you will receive your results immediately.