A Guide to the Levels of Hearing Loss

Levels of hearing loss refer to the severity of the loss and are generally described as mild, moderate, moderately severe, severe, or profound. To determine how severe your hearing loss is, an audiologist will conduct a hearing test. Your degree of hearing loss is assessed by how loud sounds have to be for you to hear them. This is measured in decibels of hearing loss (dB HL).

Here are decibel levels for some common sounds:

• Breathing: 10 dB

• Normal conversation: 40-60 dB

• Lawnmower: 90 dB

• Rock concert: 120 dB

• Gunshot: 140 dB

 Normal hearing has a dB range of minus 10 (-10) to 15.

Mild

Those with mild hearing loss have a dB HL range of 26 to 40. People with this degree of hearing loss may have difficulty hearing soft-spoken people and young children. They are often able to hear the loud or more intense vowel sounds but may miss some of the softer consonant sounds. They may have to ask people to speak up or repeat themselves on occasion.

Moderate

Moderate hearing loss encompasses the dB HL range of 41 to 55. In addition to missing consonant sounds, vowel sounds also become more difficult to hear. People with moderate hearing loss often comment that without hearing aids they hear, but can’t always understand. Both mild and moderate hearing loss can typically be treated effectively with standard hearing aids.

Moderately Severe

For those individuals with moderately severe hearing loss, the dB HL range is from 56 to 70. Without hearing aids, people with this level of hearing loss cannot hear speech. Even with hearing aids, speech may sometimes be difficult to hear and understand. Increasing the amplification doesn’t always make it clearer.

Severe

Severe hearing loss is when the dB HL ranges from 71 to 90. Without hearing aids or cochlear implants, someone with this level of hearing loss cannot hear speech. 

Profound

Profound hearing loss encompasses any dB HL of 91 and above. Without hearing aids or cochlear implants, someone with this degree of hearing loss may not even be able to hear loud sounds like airplane engines or fire alarms.

Keep in mind that hearing loss is very common. In fact, it is the third most common physical condition after arthritis and heart disease. Approximately 48 million Americans report some degree of hearing loss. If you or a loved one recognizes signs of hearing loss, it’s important to seek appropriate care and utilize the advanced technology that is offered today. If you’re interested in seeing one of our audiologists, please fill out our appointment request form, and we’ll be in touch soon!