Posted on: April 1, 2016
After a hearing test, one of the inevitable questions is “how bad is my hearing.” This can be a tricky question to answer as your hearing ability is dependent not only the loudness at which you can hear, but also the pitch. For example someone who only has trouble hearing high pitches will have a much different hearing experience than someone who only has trouble hearing only low pitches.
Over the next few weeks we will look at the many factors that determine how well you hear. We will start with the simplest, which is your overall level of hearing. The table below shows the various levels of hearing loss in decibels. For example, a hearing loss of 50 dB means sound has to be at least 50 dB loud in order to be just barely heard.
| Degree of hearing loss | (dB HL) |
| Normal | –10 to 25 |
| Mild | 26 to 40 |
| Moderate | 41 to 55 |
| Moderately severe | 56 to 70 |
| Severe | 71 to 90 |
| Profound | 91+ |
Next week we will start to examine the effects each hearing level in detail.
If you have concerns about your hearing please phone Accurate Hearing to book a hearing screening at one of our 3 locations.
Lower Sackville: 902-252-3004
Halifax: 902-423-7734
Cole Harbour: 902-406-4327