There Are Three Main Types of Hearing Loss:
SENSORINEURAL - This loss occurs when there is damage to the inner ear mechanism (cochlea, vestibular system or auditory nerve). This is typically a permanent, non-medical type of hearing loss, and usually helped by amplification. CONDUCTIVE - This loss occurs when there is a problem with the outer or middle ear and sounds are not transmitted properly. This type of hearing loss is usually treatable through medical intervention. If not, then a hearing aid is the second choice of treatment. MIXED - This loss occurs with a combination of sensorineural and conductive components.
	Attributed to the American Academy of Audiology
Identifying Factors of a Hearing Loss:
Do you have difficulty conversing in a noisy environment? Do you feel that people do not speak clearly or loud enough? Do you miss parts of a conversation? Do you ever answer a question incorrectly because you misheard it? Do you hear better when you watch the speaker's face? Do you ever have difficulty hearing what is said on the TV, or over the telephone? Do you ever feel frustrated or isolated if you are unable to follow a conversation.
Statistics
The most recent statistics compiled from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD):
Approximately 28 million Americans have a hearing impairment Hearing loss affects approximately 17 in 1,000 children under age 18. Approximately 314 in 1,000 people over the age 64 have hearing loss, and 40 to 50 percent of people 75 years and older have hearing loss. Ten million Americans have suffered irreversible noise induced hearing loss, and 30 million more are exposed to dangerous noise levels each day. Only 1 out of 5 people who could benefit from using a hearing aid actually wears one.
Hearing Loss Assessment:
Hearing loss is measured using a machine called an audiometer. Pure tone sounds are emitted at various pitches and loudness levels to which threshold responses are reported and plotted on a graph called an audiogram.
	Attributed to the American Academy of Audiology
The audiogram is based on a logarithmic scale reported as a function of frequency (pitch) and decibels (loudness). Thereby hearing loss is described in terms of degree. Thresholds that fall in the yellow shaded area of the graph between 0dB - 25dB reflect normal hearing acuity. Thresholds within the blue shaded area of 26dB - 40dB reflect a mild loss. Thresholds within the pink shaded area of 41dB- 70B reflect a moderate to moderately-severe loss. Thresholds within the purple shaded area of 71dB - 90dB reflect a severe loss. And thresholds within the green shaded area of 91dB or greater reflect a profound loss. Additional diagnostic measures include discrimination testing to assess speech audibility and understanding and middle ear function testing to help differentiate between a middle ear vs inner ear pathology.