Hearing loss levels - Understand your degree of hearing loss

What grade am I again?

The first step to targeting better hearing is finding out how far from the target you stand. The aim here is to help you pinpoint your location on the map back to healthy hearing.
Levels of hearing loss

What's your level of hearing loss?

Understanding what degree of hearing loss you're experiencing is the best way to find a solution that suits your needs. From mild and moderate to severe and profound, levels of hearing loss can vary quite drastically. Read below to see which signs sound familiar and where you may fall on the scale.

Mild hearing loss

A person with mild hearing loss may hear some speech sounds but soft sounds are hard to hear, such as whispers, dripping water, leaves rustling, feet shuffling, and birds chirping. People with mild hearing loss have difficulty hearing soft consonant sounds, making words seem incomplete. Noisy environments make hearing more challenging.

Moderate hearing loss

A person with moderate hearing won’t be able to hear anything when another person is talking at a normal level or hear that the dishwasher is already on. They may feel like Charlie Brown when he hears the whomp, whomp, whomp of his schoolteacher.

Severe hearing loss

A person with severe hearing loss will hear no speech when a person is talking and only some loud sounds. Communication is only possible with hearing aids.

Profound hearing loss

A person with profound hearing loss hears no speech and only very loud sounds. Loud sounds are often only perceived as vibrations. Hearing well means feeling well too. Do this quick test to make your first step out of the fuzzy zone.
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Hear well, feel well

Once you have a better understanding of your current hearing health, you'll be better equipped to find a solution that fits you best. Take our complimentary hearing screening and you'll be taking the first step out of the fuzzy zone and a big step forward on your journey to better hearing.
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Decibels levels of everyday activities

Dangerous decibel levels of everyday sounds

It’s a big, beautiful world of sounds out there. But some of the most common activities we do are taking a toll on our ears. So, how much time do some of these everyday activities need before they start doing damage? Let’s take a look:
  • Mowing your big backyard
    At 85 dB, your hearing is in trouble at 2 hours.
  • Cruising the street on your hotrod motorcycle
    At 95 dB, that roaring engine is dangerous after 50 minutes.
  • Cheering on your favorite football team
    At 100 dB, you’ll need earplugs after 15 minutes of stadium fun.
  • Enjoying a night on the town
    At 110 dB, nightclubs, bars and concerts fail the ear safety test after just 5 minutes.
Don’t get us wrong. This doesn’t mean you have to give up your favorite weekend activities. Just be sure you’re using ear protection at all times. That way, there’s no limit to the fun you can have. And if it all gets to be too much, try turning the volume down on life a bit. How about enjoying the sound of a heavy rainfall instead? At just 50 dB, it’ll be music to your ears.
Hearing loss indications

Symptoms of hearing loss

You may notice that you like to have the volume louder than everyone else. You may notice that the words sound like they are falling off, like they are incomplete. People are mumbling more than usual. Conversations in loud restaurants are best when by text. These are just a few of the symptoms that may indicate you're living with hearing loss.
Learn more on symptoms

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