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Hearing Loss Basics

HEARING LOSS BASICS

Levels of Hearing Loss

All students at MOSD utilize hearing devices specifically programmed and serviced to meet their unique hearing needs. There are five levels of hearing loss.

Behind-the-ear (B.T.E.] Hearing Aids

Levels of Hearing Loss

In terms of severity, hearing loss is usually measured in "db HL", and is categorized into one of six levels:

Normal...........................0-15 db HL

  • The baseline for human hearing.

Slight.........................16 to 25 db HL

  • The least severe form of hearing loss, many people in this range are unaware that they are even affected.

Mild...........................26 to 40 db HL

  • Difficulty hearing soft speech and other similarly quiet sounds. Depending on the person, may or may not require hearing aids.

Moderate..................41 to 55 db HL

  • Vowel sounds begin to get lost in this range. Typically requires some form of hearing aid to understand every-day speech.

Moderately Severe...........56 to 70 db HL

  • Perception of speech is decreased greatly, and may not be decipherable even with hearing aids.

Severe........................71 to 90 db HL

  • Without some form of amplification, speech is impossible to hear. May require cochlear implants to recover some of the lost hearing range.

Profound...........................91+ db HL

  • Unable to hear even extremely loud sounds (i.e. gunshots, jackhammers, fire alarms) without amplification. Cochlear implants are typically the only viable option.

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