Hearing loss is often accompanied by feelings of isolation,
despair, shame and profound frustration. Millions of
Americans are looking for ways to cope.
About Hearing Loss
Impairments in hearing can happen in either frequency or
intensity, or both. Hearing loss severity is based on how
well a person can hear the frequencies or intensities most
often associated with speech. Severity can be described
as mild, moderate, severe, or profound. The term "deaf" is
sometimes used to describe someone who has an approximately
90 dB or greater hearing loss or who cannot use hearing to
process speech and language information, even with the use
of hearing aids. The term "hard of hearing" is sometimes
used to describe people who have a less severe hearing loss
than deafness.
Before we can understand hearing loss, we must first
understand what hearing entails. When we hear sounds, we
really are interpreting patterns of
movement of air molecules. We can describe sounds in terms
of their frequency (or pitch) and intensity (or loudness).
Frequency is measured in
hertz (Hz). A person who has hearing within the normal
range, can hear sounds that have frequencies between 20 and
20,000 Hz. The most important sounds we hear every day are
in the 250 to 6,000 Hz range. Speech includes a mix of low
and high frequency sounds. Vowel sounds like "u" have low
frequencies (250 to 1,000 Hz) and are usually easier to
hear. Consonants like "s," "h," and "f" have higher
frequencies (1,500 to 6,000 Hz) and are harder to hear.
Consonants convey most of the meaning of what we say.
Someone who cannot hear high-frequency sounds will have a
hard time understanding speech.
Intensity, or loudness, is measured in decibels (dB). A
person with hearing within the normal range can hear sounds
ranging from 0 to 140 dB. A whisper is around 30 dB.
Conversations are usually 45 to 50 dB. Sounds that are
louder than 90 dB can be uncomfortable to hear. A loud rock
concert might be as loud as 110 dB. Sounds that are 120 dB
or louder can be painful and can result in temporary or
permanent hearing loss.
Impairments in hearing can happen in
either frequency or intensity, or both. Hearing loss
severity is based on how well a person can hear the
frequencies or intensities most often associated with
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speech. Severity can be described as mild,
moderate, severe, or profound. The term "deaf" is sometimes used to
describe someone who has an approximately 90 dB or greater hearing
loss or who cannot use hearing to process speech and language
information, even with the use of hearing aids. The term "hard of
hearing" is sometimes used to describe people who have a less severe
hearing loss than deafness.
Hearing loss can affect one or both ears. A loss that
affects one ear is called a unilateral loss. A loss that affects
both ears is called a bilateral loss.
There are four main types of hearing loss:
Conductive: Hearing loss caused by a
problem in the outer ear or middle ear. Conductive losses usually
affect all frequencies to the same degree. These losses are not
usually severe.
Sensorineural: Hearing loss caused by a
problem in the inner ear or auditory nerve. A sensorineural loss
often affects a person's ability to hear some
frequencies more than others. This means that sounds may be
appear distorted, even with the use of a hearing aid. Sensorineural
losses can range from mild to profound.
Mixed: A combination of conductive and
sensorineural losses.
Central: Hearing loss caused by a problem
along the pathway from the inner ear to the auditory region of the
brain or in the brain itself.
Approximately 30% of children who are deaf or hard of
hearing also have one or more other developmental disabilities, such
as mental retardation, cerebral palsy, vision impairment, or
epilepsy.
How can kids learn about hearing loss?
CDC has created a series of Kids' Quests to get kids to
think about people with disabilities and some of the issues related
to participation in daily activities, health, and accessibility. The
Quests were written for children in grades 4 to 6, but they can be
modified by teachers or parents for use with children of other ages
and abilities. Each Quest takes kids through a series of steps that
encourage them to use the Internet to learn about a disability and
the effects it has on a child's life.
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