Do
you have questions about hearing
loss or the perception of Sound
Voids™?
Life
is enriched by the experiences we
have through our five
senses: sight, touch, smell,
taste, and hearing. Our
senses work together and enable us
to learn and enjoy life.
Hearing is especially vital; it
enables us to communicate our
wants, needs, and emotions.
Gradual
hearing loss and the perception of
Sound Voids™ are common
conditions. They often occur
as a result of years of chronic
exposure to loud noise.
Other causes include illness,
ototoxic medications, earwax
blockage, heredity and the natural
aging process. In the United
States, approximately one-third of
individuals over 60 years of age,
and one-half of those over 85, has
some degree of hearing loss.
 You
can't reverse hearing loss or
eliminate all Sound
Voids™. However, your
AudigyCertified™ professional
can apply the appropriate care and
technology to lessen their effects
and improve the quality of sounds
you hear. Unfortunately,
many people suffering from a
hearing loss are either unaware or
ashamed of their condition, and
therefore, do not utilize the
advanced technology that is
available.
High-Frequency
Hearing Loss
In the first stages of hearing
impairment, the high frequencies
are usually lost first.
Therefore, difficulty hearing or
understanding high pitched voices
of women and children is one of
the first symptoms. It is
important to recognize that
hearing someone and understanding
them are two different
things. High-frequency
hearing loss distorts sound, which
makes speech difficult to
understand even if it can be
heard.
People
with hearing loss often have
difficulty differentiating words
that sound alike, especially words
that contain S, F, SH, CH, H, TH,
T, K or soft C sounds. These
consonants are in a much higher
frequency range than vowels and
other consonants.
Degree
of Hearing Loss
There are five levels or degrees
of hearing loss. A person
with normal hearing can perceive
very soft sounds, whereas a person
with a profound loss can only
perceive sounds louder than 90 dB.
| Type
of Hearing Loss
|
Lowest
Intensity
of Sound Heard
|
| Normal
range (or no impairment)
|
0
dB to 20 dB
|
| Mild
Loss
|
21
dB to 40 dB
|
| Moderate
Loss
|
41
dB to 60 dB
|
| Severe
Loss
|
61
dB to 85 dB
|
| Profound
Loss
|
91
dB or more
|
Prevention
Avoiding loud noise may help
prevent premature hearing loss and
the perception of Sound
Voids™. There are easy
ways to identify if a particular
sound is potentially harmful.
- Do
you have difficulty talking or
hearing others talk over the
sound?
- Does
the sound make your ears hurt?
- Do
your ears ring after the
sound?
- Do
other sounds seem muffled
after exposure?
If
you answered "yes" to
any of the above questions, the
noise may be damaging your
hearing. Most people don't
realize how loud everyday sounds
actually are. Sounds above
85 dB are harmful depending on how
long and how often you are exposed
to them. The louder a sound
is, the lower the amount of
exposure is required to cause
damage. If used properly,
hearing protection devices can
reduce the loudness of sound
reaching the ears.
Are
you experiencing any of
these symptoms?
- Does
speech sound muffled?
- Do
you have a hard time
hearing on the
telephone?
- Is
it difficult to
understand words,
especially against
background noise or in
a crowd of people?
- Do
you frequently ask
others to speak more
slowly, clearly and
loudly?
- Do
you turn up the volume
of the television or
radio more than
others?
- Do
you avoid engaging in
conversation?
- Do
you avoid certain
social settings?
- Do
you feel embarrassed,
frustrated or tired
due to these symptoms?
|
Defining
Sound
Sound is measured by intensity and
pitch. Intensity is the
loudness of sound, which is
measured in decibels. Pitch
is measured in frequency of sound
vibrations per second. A
deep voice has a low pitch and
frequency, whereas, a child's
voice has a high pitch and
frequency.
The
table below identifies decibel
levels for common noises.
How long and often have you been
exposed to dB 85 and above?
How
Loud Are Everyday Sounds?
| Noise
|
Average
decibels (dB)
|
| Leaves
rustling, a whisper
|
30
|
| A
normal conversation
|
60
|
| Vacuum
cleaner, average radio
|
75
|
| Heavy
traffic, noisy restaurant,
power lawn mower
|
80-90
|
| (Sounds
above 85 dB are harmful)
|
|
| Motorcycle,
snowmobile
|
96-100
|
| Chainsaw,
jackhammer, Sports crowd,
rock concert
|
106-115
|
| Loud
symphony
|
120-129
|
| Gun
shot, siren at 100 feet
|
140
|
Nearly
30 million Americans will be
exposed to dangerous noise levels
today. With 10 million
Americans suffering from
irreversible hearing damage due to
noise, it is never too early to
start actively protecting your
hearing. Remove yourself
from loud settings. Turn
down the radio and
television. Wear earplugs if
you cannot avoid loud
environments. Start today.
Speak
to your AudigyCertified™
professional about the prevention
and treatment of gradual hearing
loss and the perception of Sound
Voids™.
|
