WHAT DOES THE DEGREE OF HEARING IMPAIRMENT MEAN?
Between the two extremes of hearing well and hearing nothing, there are many degrees of impairment. Most hearing losses are mild to moderate. Mild Hearing Loss Unable to hear soft sounds and difficulty understanding speech in noisy environments. Moderate Hearing Loss Unable to hear soft and moderately loud sounds, considerable difficulty in understanding speech, particularly with background noise. Severe Hearing Loss Unable to hear most sounds. Speakers must raise their voice to be heard. Group conversation is possible only with considerable effort. Profound Hearing Loss Some very loud sounds are audible but communication without a hearing instrument or through sign language is very difficult.
