Measuring hearing loss

Hearing tests measure how much sound we can or can't hear. There are many different types of tests and your hearing health professional will carry out the best tests to assess your hearing. The results of hearing tests can be shown on a chart called an audiogram.

Measuring your hearing helps to find the type of hearing problem you might have and which will help your hearing professional suggest the best treatment options.

Hearing loss is measured in decibels hearing level (or dBHL). This number is how much louder a sound has to be for you to hear it compared to normal hearing individuals. Hearing level can be measured for pure tone sounds, as well as for speech sounds, and can be reported for both ears (bilateral) or for each ear individually (unilateral).

The amount of hearing loss someone has is ranked as mild, moderate, severe, or profound.

• Normal hearing
  Hear quiet sounds down to 20 dBHL.
• Mild hearing loss
  Hearing loss in the better ear between 25 - 39 dBHL.
  Have difficulty following speech in noisy situations.
• Moderate hearing loss
  Hearing loss in the better ear between 40 - 69 dBHL
  Have difficulty following speech without a hearing aid.
• Severe hearing loss
  Hearing loss in the better ear between 70 - 89 dBHL.
  Require powerful hearing aids or an implant.
• Profound hearing loss
  Hearing loss in the better ear from 90 dBHL.
  Need to rely mainly on lip-reading and/or sign language, or an implant.

The type and level of hearing loss depends on which parts of the ear don't work and how badly they are damaged.