Hearing Loss
Hearing loss can occur when any part of the hearing system is not working correctly.
The ear is made up of the outer, middle and inner ear. Sound travels through each part of the ear and up the auditory (hearing) nerve to the brain so that we are able to hear.
The main types of hearing loss are:
- Conductive hearing loss: this is when there is something affecting the sound travelling through the outer and/or middle ear.
- Sensorineural hearing loss: this is when there is a problem with the inner ear or auditory nerve.
- Mixed hearing loss is when there is both a conductive and sensorineual hearing loss.
The degree of hearing loss is graded as follows:
- Mild Hearing Loss A person with a mild hearing loss may hear some speech sounds but soft sounds are hard to hear.
- Moderate Hearing Loss A person with a moderate hearing loss may struggle to hear any speech when another person is talking at a normal level or if there is background noise.
- Severe Hearing Loss A person with severe hearing loss will hear no speech when a person is talking at a normal level and only some loud sounds. They may find themselves frequently asking others to repeat themselves.
- Profound Hearing Loss A person with a profound hearing loss will not hear any speech and only very loud sounds. They will struggle to hear in most environments.