How is hearing loss perceived?
The person with hearing loss often asks the other person to repeat.
Reference: British Society of Audiology
Degrees of Hearing Loss and perceprion
This pictures shows the HL. The degrees may vary.
| Hearing Loss | Audiogram | Perception of HL | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Normal hearing |
All sounds are audible <20 dBHL |
Speech is understood even In noisy environment |
|
Mild |
Hearing loss is between 20- 40dBHL |
Difficulty understanding speech in noisy environment |
|
Moderate |
Hearing loss is between 41-70dBHL |
Difficulty understanding speech during conversation |
|
Severe |
Hearing loss is between 71- 95dBHL |
Extremely difficult to understand speech without hearing aid |
|
Profound |
Hearing loss is above 95 dBHL |
Hearing aid or cochlear implant is necessary |
Hearing loss degrees
Mild hearing loss
The child has difficulty hearing low intensity speech especially in noisy environments
Moderate hearing loss
Difficulty of hearing even when close
Severe hearing loss
The child can only hear very loud sounds such as sirens, slumping doors etc
Profound Hearing Loss
The child perceives very loud sounds as vibration.
dBHL
Degrees of hearing loss
The degrees of hearing loss are shown in the hearing chart. There are also some variations.
There are both hereditary and acquired factors associated with hearing loss.
-
Symptoms associated with congenital hearing loss can occur
- either in infancy
- or at ages after the second or third decade of life.
Approximately 70% of all mutations that cause hearing loss are non-syndromic. This means that the person has no other symptoms.
About 30% of mutations that cause hearing loss are syndromic. This means that the person has symptoms other than hearing loss.
(Read more: here and here) -
Acquired factors and other factors include:
- ototoxic drugs
- presbyacusis: this is a condition related to the effect of age on the hearing system. A similar condition occurs in the eyes and is called presbyopia.
- noise: Occupational exposure to noise is the second most common risk factor in the workplace, after injuries (WHO Europe, 2017). Noise exposure contributes to 22% of workplace-related health problems. Many studies show that exposure to occupational noise directly leads to hearing loss (Safe Work Australia, 2010; Mahboubi et al., 2013).
Dr Katerina Vardonikolaki
MD, PhD, Otolaryngologist (ENT)
Certified Doctor by Performing Arts Medicine Association
© Αll rights reserved Κ.Vardonikolaki
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