Degrees of Hearing Loss

Degrees of Hearing Loss

Hearing is measured in decibels along a frequency range.

Decibels (dB) measure the intensity of a sound or volume.

Frequency measures the pitch of a sound in Hertz (Hz)

Normal Hearing (0 – 20dB)

People with normal hearing are able to understand speech in noisy environments without the need for amplification.

Mild hearing loss (21 – 40dB)

• People with mild hearing loss finds difficulty in understanding speech in noisy environments and from a certain distance.

• Soft sounds are hard to hear.

• Children benefit from hearing aids and in class they should be seated near the teacher.

Moderate hearing loss (56 – 70dB)

• People with moderate hearing loss have difficulty in following speech without a hearing aid.

Severe hearing loss (71 -90dB)

• People with severe hearing loss do not understand speech at normal levels.

• They usually rely on lip reading. Use of hearing aids help them to understand speech better.

Profound hearing loss (91dB +)

• People with profound hearing loss hear only very loud sounds.

• Hearing aids help to obtain cues from the environment.

• Facial expressions and lip reading help to communicate.

• Extensive training is required to develop speech.

• These people are definitely cochlear implant candidates.