Hearing loss can vary in type, configuration, and severity. This article focuses on the different degrees of hearing loss and what they mean for your hearing and daily life. Your hearing can range from normal to profound hearing loss, and understanding the degree of loss is essential for proper intervention.
How Hearing Loss is Measured
A hearing test determines the softest sounds you can hear across different pitches (frequencies). These soft sound levels are measured in decibels hearing level (dB HL), ranging from 0 dB HL (very soft sounds) to 110 dB HL (very loud sounds).
Hearing loss is categorized into seven degrees:
| Degree of Hearing Loss | Hearing Range (dB HL) |
|---|---|
| Normal | 0 – 15 |
| Slight | 16 – 25 |
| Mild | 26 – 40 |
| Moderate | 41 – 55 |
| Moderately-Severe | 56 – 70 |
| Severe | 71 – 90 |
| Profound | 91+ |
Slight Hearing Loss (16–25 dB HL)
Slight hearing loss may cause minor difficulties, such as missing soft sounds like whispers, rustling leaves, or distant speech. While it has a smaller impact on adults, young children may miss sounds critical for speech and language development.
Mild Hearing Loss (26–40 dB HL)
Mild hearing loss can make faint or distant speech harder to hear, especially in noisy environments. You may need people to repeat themselves often, although one-on-one conversations in quiet settings are usually manageable.
Moderate Hearing Loss (41–55 dB HL)
With moderate hearing loss, following conversations can be challenging even in quiet settings. People may notice that you hear speech but cannot always understand it, particularly in group conversations or noisy environments.
Moderately-Severe Hearing Loss (56–70 dB HL)
This level of hearing loss falls within the range of normal conversational speech (around 60 dB HL). Without amplification, conversational speech may be inaudible. You may need people to speak louder or repeat themselves, and group conversations can be particularly difficult.
Severe Hearing Loss (71–90 dB HL)
Severe hearing loss makes it difficult to hear soft and normal speech, and even louder speech may be hard to understand. Visual cues, such as lip reading, become essential for effective communication.
Profound Hearing Loss (91+ dB HL)
Profound hearing loss is the most extreme degree. At this level, you can only hear very loud speech and may rely heavily on visual communication methods like lip reading or sign language. Safety can also be a concern, as warning sounds like alarms, doorbells, or sirens may not be heard.
Why Early Detection is Important
Any degree of hearing loss can affect quality of life, but early detection is especially crucial for children to ensure proper speech and language development. Different degrees of hearing loss may require different interventions, from hearing aids to advanced amplification or other assistive devices.
If you suspect hearing loss in yourself or your child, it’s important to seek professional help immediately.
VR Speech and Hearing Clinic provides expert hearing care at our branches in Pune, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, and Ahmednagar, offering personalized solutions for all degrees of hearing loss.