Who is at-risk for a hearing loss?

Last week I wrote about how to communicate more effectively with those who suffer a hearing loss. Today I would like to explain a little more about types of hearing loss and who is at-risk for it.

Hearing difficulties range from extremely mild to extremely severe ("deaf"). We measure hearing loss in decibels (dB) or a measure of sound loudness or volume. When I think of how loud something is, I often think of the car radio. We can barely hear it when it is turned on low sometimes (5 db) and sometimes it is just too loud, like being at a rock concert (110 dB). The volume or loudness that sound has to be for us to detect it is called our hearing level. This measurement also can determine if there is a hearing loss.

If someone has a 0 dB hearing loss or level, they can hear perfectly. Any sounds detected between 5-15 dB of hearing level, as measured during an audiometric evaluation (hearing test) with a licensed audiologist, is considered a mild hearing loss. A moderate hearing loss makes it difficult to participate in conversations, hear in class when the teacher speaks, or hear things in the environment (even signals that warn us of danger sometimes). This occurs when levels fall in approximately the 20-65 dB hearing level range. Anything over 70 dB in level is considered hard of hearing. The 90 dB range and up is considered "deaf" for all practical purposes by most professional audiologists. This means that a sound would have to be 90dB in loudness just for a person to detect it was there. That's pretty loud!

It is hard to know if you may end up having a hearing loss someday but there are indicators we have identified to know if you are at risk. These indicators include genetics and acquired hearing loss.

Genetics is something we do not have much control over. We are born with it. It is not something we acquire. We are given the genes or chromosomes we are given and there is not a lot of choice on our part as to what we get. Some of us are tall. Some of us have brown eyes. Some of us may even have the genetic possibility of developing a hearing loss as we age. Or we may be born with it. Unfortunately we do not have a choice with this type.

Other indicators are of the "acquired" type. They are choices we make that affect whether we may possibly develop a hearing loss. We can literally cause our own loss. These include occupational and recreational choices. We all know of someone or we ourselves work in an extremely noisy environment, such as a factory. Although there are standards set by the government and OSHA, over time exposure to such loud noise for 6+ hours a day will almost always have an adverse affect on our hearing. It alone can cause great hearing loss in people. It is not uncommon for most factories, for example, to have noise levels of 80+dB at any given time. I used to work in the factory my father worked in over summer breaks from college and I remember the noise. At the time I had not yet studied the impact of noise on hearing ability or I may have chosen another summer job. (I take damaging noise very seriously!!) I have seen my father lose his hearing over the years slowly and I can't help but know his occupational choice caused it. He even thinks so now that he is retired. Our leisure choices can also damage our hearing and we may not even be aware of it! How often have you used a gun for hunting or target practice? Or rode that motorcycle revving the engine at stop signs? (I love Harley Hogs, too, but they really can do a lot of damage to the old ears.) Do you use a chain saw occasionally? My husband does, too, because we have a fireplace and we love using it in the winter. How about an occasional rock concert or monster truck exhibition in an enclosed area? Much more damage can occur in enclosed spaces than outside because the noise can move away from you and won't bounce back to you again and again like an out of control ping pong ball. But being outdoors alone will not save your hearing. One loud bang alone or exposure to loud noises over time can both lead to hearing loss. Let me just say that wearing protective hearing devices may look "dorky" but believe me, when it comes to occupational noise and recreational noise they sure can reduce the amount of damaging noise your ears receive and the amount of hearing loss you may end up with. Noise induced, or acquired hearing loss, does not have to happen! End of sermon!

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