| Over 35 million Americans suffer from hearing loss, | | | | where not created, then it would be much harder for |
| and because each of those 35 million hear differently, | | | | audiologists to help their patients improve their hearing |
| the loss of affects them all differently too. One | | | | and perhaps in some cases, even impossible. |
| attempt to standardize the process by which hearing | | | | Designating and diagnosing what qualifies as "severe" |
| loss is diagnosed and treated is the implantation of one | | | | hearing loss vs. "moderate" or "profound" hearing loss |
| of several different degrees: one of them which is the | | | | is less than straightforward. For one, the range of |
| most serious one of them all which is termed "severe | | | | normal human hearing is so wide that it must be |
| hearing loss." Standardization is always good because | | | | graphed on a logarithmic scale and is still slightly |
| it does help us understand the condition of those who | | | | challenging to diagnose because everyone hears |
| are categorized, but it should be taken with a grain of | | | | differently. It is best to imagine degrees of hearing loss |
| salt. Every person is unique in terms of their individual | | | | less as strict prescriptions and more as potentially |
| condition and the reasons for it varying from genetics | | | | helpful guidelines for treatment (do not make them |
| (it may be inherited by a family member) to trauma (a | | | | absolute because this will cause problems). If taken as |
| sudden loud bang or perhaps an injury that may have | | | | too strict, then it may cause problems: just as every |
| damaged the inner ear). The best way to look at | | | | human body varies differs, so does hearing abilities. |
| these terms is to see them as guidelines. If you look at | | | | This is for the same reason in which we are all |
| it as a pure definition that has no flexibility, this will only | | | | somewhat different: genetics, our daily interactions and |
| cause problems in both the long run and in short term. | | | | our surrounding environments. |
| The degree of hearing loss is generally defined by | | | | Severe hearing loss is sometimes converted to a |
| self-reported ability to hear sounds. The louder a sound | | | | percentage in an attempt to more narrowly define |
| has to be before one can respond to it, the greater | | | | what part of hearing remains. However, this is usually |
| the degree the hearing problem is. Severe hearing loss | | | | done in a legal context. Outside of this particular |
| is experienced by those who are unable to hear | | | | context, the usefulness of trying to define hearing in |
| sounds below 71 decibels (normal human but are able | | | | strictly mathematical terms is questionable. Still, even a |
| to hear sounds below 90db. If one is unable to hear | | | | somewhat amorphous term like "severe hearing loss" |
| sounds above that upper range, the hearing loss is | | | | can help guide an audiologist and provide a higher |
| then categorized as "profound." Once the audiologists | | | | quality of life for those who are suffering from any |
| have the hearing level of the individual categorized, it is | | | | kind of hearing problem. Someday hopefully, any |
| then easier to see which form of action should be | | | | problems with hearing will be cured with some type of |
| taken; a prescribed hearing aid, a cochlear implant or in | | | | medicine or surgery that can permanently restore a |
| some cases, a stapedectomy. If these categories | | | | patients hearing capability to its fullest potential. |