Health Tip: How Bad is Your Hearing Loss?

(HealthDay News) — You’ve had a professional diagnose your hearing loss. So how bad is it?

Your degree of hearing loss can range from “mild” to “profound,” the Better Hearing Institute says. Here’s are brief explanation of each degree:

Mild — It’s the most common and under-diagnosed degree of hearing loss, the institute says. It means you probably have trouble hearing sounds that are less than 40 decibels, such as a whisper, rustling leaves or the sound of normal breathing. You may have trouble hearing others in noisy environments, or higher-pitched sounds.
Moderate — In addition to the sounds described above, you may have trouble hearing sounds in the 40- to 60-decibel range, such as those typical of a quiet office. You probably have trouble keeping up with most conversations without the use of hearing aids.
Severe — You probably have trouble hearing sounds up to 80 decibels, such as those of a vacuum cleaner or hair dryer.
Profound — You probably can’t hear sounds above 80 decibels, such as a lawn mower, food blender or motorcycle.