Hearing Loss
Life is enriched by the experiences we have through our five senses: sight, touch, smell, taste, and hearing. Together, our senses enable us to learn and enjoy life. Hearing is especially vital because it enables us to communicate our wants, needs, and emotions.
You cannot reverse hearing loss or eliminate all Sound Voids™. However, your AudigyCertified™ professional can provide the appropriate care and technology to lessen these effects and improve the quality of sounds you hear. Unfortunately, many people who have a hearing loss are either unaware or ashamed of their condition and do not utilize the available advanced technology.
Defining Sound
The loudness of sound is measured in decibels. Pitch is measured in frequency of sound vibrations per second. A man's voice generally has a low frequency, whereas a child's voice has a high frequency.
High-Frequency Hearing Loss
In the early stages of hearing impairment, high frequencies are usually damaged first. Therefore, difficulty hearing or understanding the high-pitched voices of women and children is one of the first signs of hearing loss. High frequency hearing loss distorts sound, which makes speech difficult to understand even if it can be heard.
People with hearing loss often have difficulty differentiating words that sound alike, especially words that contain the sounds s, f, sh, ch, h, t, or k. These consonants are in a much higher frequency range than vowels and other consonants.
Degree of Hearing Loss
There are five levels or degrees of hearing loss. These include: mild, moderate, moderately severe, severe, and profound. A person with normal hearing can perceive very soft sounds, whereas a person with a profound hearing loss can only perceive very loud sounds.
Prevention
Avoiding loud noise may help prevent premature hearing loss and the perception of Sound Voids.Listed below are some questions to ask yourself to help determine if the sounds around you are too loud:
Do I have difficulty talking or hearing others talk over the sound?
Does the sound make my ears hurt?
Do my ears ring after hearing the sound?
Do other sounds seem muffled after I am away from the sound or the sound stops?
If you answered "yes" to any of the above questions, the noise may be damaging your hearing. Most people don't realize how loud everyday sounds actually are. Sounds above 85 dB are harmful depending on how long and how often you are exposed to them. The louder a sound is, the less exposure time is required to cause damage. If used properly, hearing protection devices can reduce the loudness of sound reaching the ears.