How Can You Know for Sure That Hearing Aids Are a Treatment Option?

Having a hearing impairment does not necessarily mean that you need a hearing aid. It helps to have a basic understanding of the degrees of hearing loss. Hearing loss generally can be divided into five categories:

1. Slight Hearing Loss

A person with slight hearing loss will have difficulty with sounds like whispers, sounds of breathing, and light footsteps. Hearing aids are very rarely recommended for this degree of loss, and only for cases where an individual perceives a significant handicap from the loss.

2. Mild Hearing Loss

A person with mild loss may have difficulty with sounds like quiet speech, library sounds, and people speaking from another room. This is the level at which most people begin to notice that they are missing certain sounds and that their ability to communicate has declined. Not everyone in this category will benefit from hearing aids, but most will.

3. Moderate Hearing Loss

At this level, sounds like conversational speech, along with TV, music, and many other vital sounds may be missed, and nearly everyone in this category will benefit from hearing aids.

4. Severe Hearing Loss

A person with severe loss will have trouble with not only virtually all human speech, but also things like alarm clocks, doorbells, ringing telephones, and even sirens, public announcement systems, and other forms of emergency communication. Hearing aids normally are vital for a person with severe hearing loss, and additional technology such as TV listening devices, amplified telephones, and other assistive listening devices may be required as well.

5. Profound Hearing Loss

In a profound hearing loss, even loud sounds like subway trains, power tools, and aircraft engines can be difficult to hear. At this level of hearing loss, even the most powerful hearing aids might not be adequate, and surgical solutions like cochlear implants may be more appropriate.

So how do you know if you actually have hearing loss and, if so, to what degree? Set up an appointment with an experienced audiologist. They will conduct a series of tests to diagnose any hearing loss, and which sounds or frequencies you may have difficulty hearing. They will discuss those results with you and, if appropriate, recommend the best hearing aids for you.

CONCLUSION

Hearing loss is a treatable condition! Find a hearing professional near you in case you suspect you have a hearing loss.