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Understanding hearing loss
Causes, symptoms, types and degrees: everything you need to recognize hearing loss and act at the right time.
A loss that settles in silently
Hearing loss affects about one in four people over 65 — and more and more younger people exposed to noise. Its particularity: it progresses so slowly that the brain adapts without you noticing. You think "people don't articulate anymore," when in fact certain frequencies are fading away.
Left unaddressed, it leads to listening fatigue and social isolation, and is a documented risk factor for cognitive decline. The good news: caught early, it is very well compensated with today's technologies.
The most common causes
- Age (presbycusis) — natural wear of inner-ear cells, mostly in the high frequencies.
- Noise — occupational or recreational exposure (music, hunting, power tools, motorcycling).
- Earwax blockage — a frequent and reversible cause.
- Ear infections — repeated or poorly treated.
- Certain medications (ototoxic), heredity, or middle-ear conditions (otosclerosis).
Symptoms to watch for
- Frequently asking people to repeat
- TV volume creeping ever higher
- Difficulty in noise (restaurants, meetings)
- The feeling that others mumble
- Fatigue after conversations
- Ringing or buzzing in the ears
The three types of hearing loss
Screening identifies where the problem lies along the sound pathway — because not all losses are compensated the same way.
Conductive hearing loss
Sound is blocked in the outer or middle ear: earwax plug, ear infection, perforated eardrum, otosclerosis. Often medically treatable — hence the importance of a diagnosis. Otherwise, it is very well compensated with hearing aids.
Sensorineural hearing loss
The inner ear (cochlea) or auditory nerve is affected: age, noise, heredity. This is the most common form. Irreversible, but effectively compensated by modern hearing aids.
Mixed hearing loss
A combination of both: a conductive component adds to a sensorineural loss. Care then combines medical treatment (as needed) and appropriate hearing aids.
From mild to profound: where do you stand?
| Degree | Average loss | What it changes day to day |
|---|---|---|
| Mild | 20 to 40 dB | Soft and whispered voices are missed; difficulty in noise. The best time to act. |
| Moderate | 40 to 70 dB | Normal-volume speech becomes hard; TV volume rises; you constantly ask people to repeat. |
| Severe | 70 to 90 dB | Only loud voices are perceived; conversation without hearing aids becomes very difficult. |
| Profound | 90 dB and up | Speech is no longer perceived; powerful or implantable solutions exist — let's talk about it. |
Good to know: the degree of loss can differ between ears and vary across frequencies (often greater in the highs). That is exactly what the audiogram from the in-clinic screening reveals.
A doubt about your hearing?
The screening is free* — and knowing is already moving forward.