Severe sensorineural hearing loss??
I have approximately 70% to 80% hearing loss. This means that without any assistance I can hear 20% of what ‘normal’ people can. My loss is in the high-frequency ranges (female voices), but I can usually make out low-frequency noises (male voices) without my aids on. Anything over 85% loss is labeled profound. I do not believe that I was born with my loss. I was born ten weeks premature and was in the neonatal care unit at Medical City in Dallas. Since my heart and lungs were not yet fully developed, my heart stopped at times. In order to revive my heart, I was given some medicine. It was later found out that this medicine was ototoxic. Ototoxic literally means destroys the ears (or rather the sensitive cochlea hair cells that receive sound in the ear). So, if I had the option of hearing ‘normally’ and being dead, or having my loss and being very much alive, it makes my choice quite clear, doesn’t it? Anyway, I don’t know any differently…
