“Hearing loss” is a catch-all term for a wide-range of hearing difficulty:
Types of Hearing Loss
- Mild:
Inability to hear soft noises; makes conversation difficult in loud environments - Moderate:
Inability to hear soft and moderately-loud noises; poses particular difficulties with hearing speech amid background noise - Severe:
Conversations require being spoken to loudly; group conversations are particularly difficult - Profound:
Only some exceptionally loud noises can be heard; conversation without a hearing aid is no longer possible
Hearing loss, most of the time, develops very slowly over time. Some of the symptoms to be aware of include:
- Problems trying to hear from a distance
- Difficulty understanding people in noisy environments
- Other people remarking on how loudly you speak
- People sounding as if they are mumbling
- Getting complaints about the volume of your TV or radio
- The voices of women and children are hard to understand
- You often need to ask people to repeat themselves
- Common household sounds (e.g., alarm clock, dripping water) are difficult to hear
- Ringing in your ears
Most cases of hearing loss fall in the mild-to-moderate range, but the only way to be properly diagnosed is with professional testing; that’s also the only way to find a successful hearing loss solution. If you’re experiencing any of the symptoms mentioned above, please call us for a complimentary hearing test.
