Hearing Loss: Definition of Hearing Loss
Hearing loss affects a great many people all around the world, 10 million or one-sixth of the population in the UK alone. However what exactly is classed as "hearing loss"? It is not just people who are deaf or have complete hearing loss in both ears. That accounts for only 800,000 people in the UK, what of the other 9 million?
Well hearing loss is broken down into four types – mild, moderate, severe and profound. It is split into groups depending on the level of sound they can hear. Sound is measured in decibels (dB) from 0, although it is possible to have a negative decibel. Sounds at 0 are things like leaves rustling gently. Gunfire and helicopters can be between 120-160dB. A normal conversation is around 60dB.
The four types:
Mild – This group has some difficulty following speech, mainly in noisy conditions. The quietest sounds they can hear are between 25 and 39 decibels.
Moderate – People with this type may have difficulty following speech without hearing aids. The quietest sounds they can hear are between 40 and 69 decibels.
Severe – They rely on lip reading, normally wear hearing aids and have had to learn sign language. The quietest sounds they can hear are between 70 and 94 decibels.
Profound Deafness – This group has to use sign language to communicate and employ lip-reading to help. The quietest sounds they can hear are anything over 95 dB.
Most people at one time in their lives or another will suffer from either mild or moderate hearing loss. This will probably only be temporary and will most likely be due to a cold or other virus. A sudden very loud noise can also cause temporary hearing loss, as can swimming.
Throughout your life it is important to take care of your hearing, as many things can affect it. As we get older the damage we have done to our ears becomes more noticeable, so it is important to take action as soon as possible. There are numerous natural ways to prevent hearing loss and to treat it when it comes along. For example magnesium deficiency can cause deafness, ringing in the ears and dizziness. Smoking can cause a narrowing of the blood vessels in the ear making it less efficient. Did you know certain food allergies could contribute to hearing loss? To find out which ones check my blog out – listed in the resource box below. There are many natural ways to prevent and treat hearing loss, many of which you can start to do right now.
Well hearing loss is broken down into four types – mild, moderate, severe and profound. It is split into groups depending on the level of sound they can hear. Sound is measured in decibels (dB) from 0, although it is possible to have a negative decibel. Sounds at 0 are things like leaves rustling gently. Gunfire and helicopters can be between 120-160dB. A normal conversation is around 60dB.
The four types:
Mild – This group has some difficulty following speech, mainly in noisy conditions. The quietest sounds they can hear are between 25 and 39 decibels.
Moderate – People with this type may have difficulty following speech without hearing aids. The quietest sounds they can hear are between 40 and 69 decibels.
Severe – They rely on lip reading, normally wear hearing aids and have had to learn sign language. The quietest sounds they can hear are between 70 and 94 decibels.
Profound Deafness – This group has to use sign language to communicate and employ lip-reading to help. The quietest sounds they can hear are anything over 95 dB.
Most people at one time in their lives or another will suffer from either mild or moderate hearing loss. This will probably only be temporary and will most likely be due to a cold or other virus. A sudden very loud noise can also cause temporary hearing loss, as can swimming.
Throughout your life it is important to take care of your hearing, as many things can affect it. As we get older the damage we have done to our ears becomes more noticeable, so it is important to take action as soon as possible. There are numerous natural ways to prevent hearing loss and to treat it when it comes along. For example magnesium deficiency can cause deafness, ringing in the ears and dizziness. Smoking can cause a narrowing of the blood vessels in the ear making it less efficient. Did you know certain food allergies could contribute to hearing loss? To find out which ones check my blog out – listed in the resource box below. There are many natural ways to prevent and treat hearing loss, many of which you can start to do right now.
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