Kinds of hearing loss?

[stephtara]

I've been reading threads here and there on this forum since yesterday, and it seems clear there are different types of hearing loss. In my case, is it right to speak of hearing "loss"? I didn't actually lose my hearing, I just never had it.

How does one figure out what kind of hearing loss they have? Also, I've seen there is talk of "medium", "severe", "profound" etc. -- is there a scale somewhere?

I've only recently started wearing hearing aids (I'm 38) after spending most of my life doing a lot of guesswork and asking people to repeat themselves.

My audiologist (whom I appreciate very much so far) started me out 8dB below "optimal" factory setting (lower than he usually would, but I had a rather strong reaction to the optimal setting, and a failed attempt at getting hearing aids when I was a teenager). I just can't believe how loud "proper hearing" people hear stuff! The world must be a very noisy place to most people.

Thanks in advance for the lesson in terminology!

[seb]

You basically have mild to moderate hearing loss, however, your hearing is in the normal range for your left and right ear at 125 hz and 4,000 hz in your left ear. Normal hearing is hearing that ranges from -10 to 20 db, mild hearing loss is from 21 to 40 db, moderate from 41 to 55 db, moderate to severe from 56 to 70 db, severe from 71 to 90 db and profound is 90 db and above.

[stephtara]

Thanks, seb! That answers my question about the severity of my loss. :-)

Still curious about if it's correct to call it "loss" when I never had it, and also, how to know/guess what causes it physiologically, if somebody with answers to those happen to drop by.

I think I remember one audiologist telling me that pretty much the only reason I've been so functional with speech (hearing/producing) is the peak I have at 4K. Does that make sense?

Also, is it normal to have a slightly asymmetrical audiogram (just like I have one bigger foot, or the canal of my left ear is smaller than the right)?

[lohearn]

Hi,

Yes you can still call it a hearing loss since at some point it was lost .

There are many different types of hearing loss, mine is from an accident. I fell and damaged my hearing, basically I broke my stapes. Hearing is still bad in that ear, the search continues as to what else can be wrong with it.

Many people have asymmetrical hearing. My son has otosclerosis and his hearing in his right ear is perfect, the hearing in his left ear is very similar to mine. Very asymmetrical in his case.

[mistygreen]

My dad have hearing loss problem.He is not able to hear any voice.doctor suggest a surgery but my dad not ready for surgery,what to do?is any other alternative possible??please help?

[Alexzander30]

There are actually three kinds of hearing loss: conductive hearing problems, sensorineural hearing problems and mixed hearing problems.hearing loss develop when body nerves become broken and never properly transfer their signals towards the brain.

[Danuta]

I always wanted to know how to describe my hearing loss.
Don would you? My audio is very good at setting and doing what I ask for, but she does not bother to explain it. Maybe she is turn off because English is my second language. Thanks

[AMazieLN]

A quick way to categorize your loss is to compare your tone testing between air and bone. If your results from the air test (head phones/ear phones) were better than your bone (device on the bone behind your ear) results, then your loss is sensorial. If your bone results are better than your air results, then your loss is conductive. If results from both tests are similar or jumbled, you have a mixed loss.

[IMBack]

if you don't understand what your AD is telling you ask them to explain it again.. if they don't explain something ask them. remember they work for you it's your dime they want and they need to work for it.

[iceman0486]

Originally Posted by Danuta

I always wanted to know how to describe my hearing loss.
Don would you? My audio is very good at setting and doing what I ask for, but she does not bother to explain it. Maybe she is turn off because English is my second language. Thanks

According to a lot of our charts, your loss is "moderate." I can't make a call as to the type of loss re: conductive/sensorineural because I need bone scores.