Introduction
Hearing plays a significant role in communication as it enables us to understand speech, process sound, and interact with the world around us. Difficulty hearing may lead to social isolation and cognitive decline. Recognizing the signs and symptoms of mild-to-moderate hearing loss is essential to take the necessary steps to restore hearing ability. Effective ways to assess the range of hearing loss are included in this blog.
What is Mild-to-Moderate Hearing Loss?
Hearing loss occurs when your hearing system is affected in some way. When the hearing threshold of a person becomes 26 dB to 40 dB, it can be categorized as moderate hearing impairment. The person will face difficulty hearing soft sounds, low voices.
People suffering from moderate hearing loss are unable to participate in a conversation with a loud sound in the background. The sound coming from a distance of 3 to 5 feet will be difficult to understand by the person with moderate hearing loss.
Symptoms of Mild-to-Moderate Hearing Loss
The symptoms that indicate mild-to-moderate hearing loss need to be observed and assessed properly for your health and well-being. You can ensure the range of your hearing loss by observing the following symptoms:
- Difficult to hear whispers, quiet conversation, and rustling leaves.
- Trouble hearing the sound of speech from a distance.
- High-frequency as well as mid-frequency sounds, such as birds chirping, will be difficult to hear.
- Ask people to speak more loudly, clearly, or repeat words frequently.
- Difficult to understand speech in noisy, crowded areas such as at a concert or on crowded roads.
- Feeling a ringing in the ears or hearing a buzzing sound is called tinnitus.
- I need to turn up the volume of the TV or the sound system.
- Difficulty understanding the sound of speech on the phone, especially in a noisy background.
Tests and Diagnoses of Moderate Hearing Impairment
Diagnosis of mild-to-moderate hearing loss can be done by a professional, like an audiologist. They evaluate the range of hearing loss through physical tests as well as several audiometry tests.
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Physical Examination for Mild-to-Moderate Hearing Loss
Your audiologist will ask the following questions:
- If you are facing trouble hearing the sound of the TV or radio at its usual volume, and need to turn up the volume?
- Do you tell your friends or family members to repeat themselves?
- Are you facing difficulties hearing the sound of speech on the phone?
- How much time do you spend in noisy areas?
After completing the physical examination, you will be advised to undergo several audiometric tests, if your doctor finds it necessary.
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Audiometer Test
An Audiometer Test is suggested to ensure the hearing difficulty as well as the degree of hearing loss. During this test, different pitches, tones, decibels, and loudness are being played through headphones. The audiologist then observes your reactions and, through this excellent way, your degree of hearing loss can be determined.
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Speech Testing
This test is necessary to check your ability to understand the sound of speech in noisy places. It also determines your SRT(Speech Reception Threshold).
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Tympanometry
This test helps to assess the movement of the eardrum and check the condition of the middle ear fluid.
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ABR Test (Auditory Brainstem Response)
In an ABR test, several electrodes are placed on the head near the ears to detect the brain’s response to different sounds played through earplugs placed in the ear. The integrity of the auditory nerve can be evaluated through this test.
Why is it important to check your hearing health?
Hearing ability is one of the most important aspects of our lives. It is necessary to be aware of our auditory health. We should check the range of our hearing loss for our overall health and well-being.
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Early detection
Early detection of your hearing loss is possible by regular hearing checkups. You can be able to start treatment from the initial stage. You need to check the range of your hearing loss to take proactive steps to prevent further deterioration.
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Prevent cognitive decline
Untreated hearing loss may lead to cognitive decline. When the ears are not working properly, our brain needs to work harder; this can affect cognitive function. Checking your hearing capacity is necessary to prevent cognitive decline, which includes dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
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Health and safety
Hearing loss can cause several dangers, such as the approaching sound of horns of vehicles or alarms. Testing your hearing issue is beneficial to ensure your safety. Hearing loss affects the balance of your body, so it is necessary to identify the root cause for your health and wellness.
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Enhance quality of life
Restoring hearing capacity is essential to improve the quality of life as it allows you to connect with your friends and family members. Ignoring hearing loss may lead to reduced social interaction and feelings of isolation. Proper assessment of your hearing problem is necessary to improve the quality of life.
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Improve communication
It is important to detect if your hearing issue is mild or moderate. Early detection and proper treatment are helpful to restore your ability to communicate. Using appropriate hearing aids can pave the way to having good communication with others.
If you are facing trouble with hearing, no need to be anxious, you can contact us at Aural Care, a renowned hearing solution providing clinic in Kolkata, to get proper hearing treatment. We use advanced equipment to check the range of your hearing loss through several audiological tests such as ASSR, Tympanometry, and BERA. We emphasize recognizing the cause behind your hearing loss; for this, we offer vestibular function tests. Our expert and experienced audiologists assess your hearing issue and suggest the best solution. Contact us to relieve discomfort caused by hearing issues.
Conclusion
It allows us to stay connected with our surroundings and interact with others. One should be aware of the hearing issues he is suffering from. Several effective audiological tests can be beneficial to analyse the degree of your hearing loss. Proper diagnosis and treatment are necessary to enhance your quality of life.
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