Hearing loss creeps up little by little as the brain gets used to not hearing certain frequencies or sounds. Experts refer to this as “auditory deprivation”. Usually, people affected by it don’t notice it at all. But the later the brain is reminded of the long-forgotten frequencies with the help of a hearing aid, the longer it takes for the person to be able to perceive them and accept them at their normal volume again.
Not all hearing loss is alike. There are many gradations between “good hearing” and “almost no hearing at all”. Hearing healthcare professionals often distinguish levels of hearing losses using the terms mild, moderate, severe, and profound hearing loss.
Our speech is made up of tones and sounds at different volumes and in different frequency ranges. The “speech banana” is a visual representation of these sounds as consonants, vowels, and sibilants on an audiogram.
Professionals use these audiometric measurements to calculate a person’s individual hearing loss and select a suitable hearing aid.
People with normal hearing can hear and understand the entire spectrum of speech. For people with hearing loss, it’s a different story: depending on how severe their hearing loss is, they may no longer be able to hear high tones (such as birdsong or rustling leaves), or they may have a hard time following telephone calls or conversations.
Whether it’s feeling anxious that you will miss important information or being embarrassed that you are unable to hear your family talking, hearing loss can stir up many different negative emotions.
Hearing loss has been identified as an important risk factor in social isolation, brain atrophy and developing dementia particularly in older adults.1,2
Research has shown that untreated hearing loss is associated with a greater likelihood of falls and related injuries.3
Living with unaided hearing loss can add extra frustration to things that were once simple, everyday activities.
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