A Step-by-Step Guide to Understanding Hearing Loss Diagnosis

Your hearing is precious, but it can become damaged over time, so taking the best care of it is essential. If you have noticed a difference in your hearing ability, it is wise to schedule a hearing test with your audiologist. Having your hearing loss diagnosed early may help prevent it from declining further and enable you to get appropriate treatment faster. This step-by-step guide will explain how hearing loss is diagnosed and what these different diagnoses mean.

Hearing Tests

Hearing tests measure your ability to hear noises of different tones, pitches and also when there is background noise present. Having your hearing checked routinely by your audiologist is an excellent way to monitor your hearing and spot any decline in your ability to hear while in its early stages. 

If you have started to notice that your hearing ability has changed, a hearing test will show the level of hearing loss and the type of hearing loss you are experiencing. At your visit, the audiologist will use an audiometer to produce an audiogram. The audiogram is a graph showing your hearing ability at different frequencies.

Understanding the Main Types of Hearing Loss

After carrying out your hearing test, your audiologist will advise whether you have hearing loss and will explain which type of hearing loss, if any, you have. Here are the three main types of hearing loss:

• Sensorineural Hearing Loss: Sensorineural hearing is the most common form of acquired hearing loss. Sensorineural hearing loss means the cochlea or auditory nerve cannot effectively transmit sound to the brain.
• Conductive Hearing Loss: Conductive hearing loss is present when sound is not transmitted effectively to the inner ear. 
• Mixed Hearing Loss: Mixed hearing loss occurs due to both sensorineural and conductive hearing loss. The inner ear, outer ear, and middle ear may all be affected.

Measuring the Severity of Hearing Loss

As well as finding out the type of hearing loss you have, your audiologist will determine the level of hearing loss you are experiencing by reviewing your audiogram results. There are five different levels of hearing loss, these typically fall into the following ranges:

• Slight: Slight hearing loss indicates you cannot hear low-level sounds below 15-20dBs, such as whispering. 
• Mild: Mild hearing loss is classed as being unable to hear conversations between 26-40dBs.
• Moderate: Moderate hearing loss is considered as being unable to hear sounds below 40-69dBs.
• Severe: Severe hearing loss is classed as being unable to hear sounds below 70-94dBs.
• Profound: Profound hearing loss indicates that you cannot hear sounds below 95dBs.

Treatment Options for Hearing Loss

Your audiologist will discuss your audiogram results with you and talk you through the type of hearing loss you are experiencing. Based on your results, your audiologist will recommend the most suitable treatment option for you to help improve your hearing. If you have mild, moderate or severe hearing loss, your audiologist may recommend hearing aids to help enhance your hearing.