Hearing Center Help - Degree and Configuration of Auditory Loss

Hearing center help is not far from you! But what is auditory loss exactly? It is a sudden or sometimes gradual reduction in the hearing ability. It can be caused by numerous factors and it can range from being mild to severe. It can be a temporary condition that occurs because an infection has set in. For some people, though, this ear condition can become a permanent state.

A person does not always realize that he or she is suffering from a lack of hearing. This is often the case when the loss occurs in the early stages of development. A family member, friend, or co-worker may be the one to point it out to the impaired individual. If someone has pointed out to you that they had to call out your name four times before you turned your head when you were only sitting inches from them, then it is time to see an audiologist for an exam at a hearing center.

A lessened degree of hearing can impact an individual's personal and professional life. It can affect their safety and their level of efficiency and productivity at their workplace. If the loss remains untreated and undiagnosed then it may just get worse over time. This physical problem can then give way to feelings of anxiety, fear, depression, social isolation, and a loss of independence.

Degree of hearing loss is a term that you will hear mentioned at a hearing center. It makes reference to how severe the condition is. There are five broad categories that are used to represent the threshold for the person; this is the softest intensity at which sounds are perceptible. The normal range when no problem exists is 0 to 20 decibels. Mild loss is 20 to 40 decibels, while moderate impairment falls within the range of 40 to 60 decibels. Severe loss is 60 to 80 decibels. Profound loss is the worst of them all, and is 80 decibels and higher.

The configuration of auditory loss is another term that you will hear tossed about at a hearing center. It helps to know what it means beforehand. It can be described as being the shape of the impairment. It is the extent of each frequency and the overall auditory picture that develops.

High and low frequencies are what the configuration is all about. A problem with the ears that involves a loss of only high frequencies would be referred to as being a high-frequency disability. If it were low frequencies that were affected instead of high ones, then the configuration in this case would point to poor hearing for low tones.