How do you know when it’s time for hearing aids – is any hearing loss “worth” treating with devices, or is there a certain threshold when treatment is more beneficial?
What is Considered Hearing Loss?
When you have a hearing test, you are tested on a range of different frequencies of sound at various volumes to see how well you can hear. The results are plotted on an audiogram and show your overall hearing ability. The levels of hearing loss are1:
- Normal hearing; 0-25 decibels (dB)
- Mild hearing loss: 26 – 40 dB
- Moderate hearing loss: 41 – 60 dB
- Severe hearing loss: 61 – 80 dB
- Profound hearing loss: 81+ dB
In these classifications, a mild hearing loss means you can hear someone speaking in a normal voice about 3 feet away. A moderate loss means that person would need to raise their voice for you to hear them. A severe hearing loss means someone would need to shout into your better ear to be heard and profound loss means that even shouting does not help you hear or understand.
When Are Hearing Aids Recommended?
According to the World Health Organization1, a mild hearing loss may benefit from hearing aids. Often, this group can greatly benefit from hearing aid use, including participating more fully in work and social functions. The recommendation for hearing aids is fully supported at a moderate hearing loss level.
This is a good guide, but it’s important to remember that your lifestyle is an important factor in whether or not hearing aids are right for you. If you are still in the workplace, regularly participate in group activities or travel, even your mild hearing loss will be greatly impacted by using hearing aids.
The Brain’s Role in Hearing
It’s always important to remember your brain’s role in hearing – ears are just the pathway for sound to enter your brain and be processed into meaning. Even with a mild hearing loss, your brain starts to miss out on certain sounds and may “forget” what they are. This is why our hearing care experts usually recommend hearing aids as soon as you have any hearing loss.
Keeping your brain active and engaged in the full range of sound helps you stay in the conversation. Hearing aids help reduce listening fatigue and can help make conversation more enjoyable again. Plus, today’s hearing aids let you stream videos and podcasts directly into your hearing aids via Bluetooth™ and even take phone calls via your hearing aids. If you’ve had trouble hearing on the phone, this can be very helpful.
Hearing aids for mild hearing loss can also help you hear whispers, including the tiny voices of grandchildren, so don’t wait. Schedule a free hearing test* at HearingLife today and try a pair of hearing aids in our office or purchase them with a 30-day risk-free trial**.
Sources:
1. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6796665/