(HealthDay News) — You’ve had a professional diagnose your hearing loss. So how bad is it?

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Your degree of hearing loss can range from “mild” to “profound,” the Better Hearing Institute says. Here’s are brief explanation of each degree:

  • Mild — It’s the most common and under-diagnosed degree of hearing loss, the institute says. It means you probably have trouble hearing sounds that are less than 40 decibels, such as a whisper, rustling leaves or the sound of normal breathing. You may have trouble hearing others in noisy environments, or higher-pitched sounds.
  • Moderate — In addition to the sounds described above, you may have trouble hearing sounds in the 40- to 60-decibel range, such as those typical of a quiet office. You probably have trouble keeping up with most conversations without the use of hearing aids.
  • Severe — You probably have trouble hearing sounds up to 80 decibels, such as those of a vacuum cleaner or hair dryer.
  • Profound — You probably can’t hear sounds above 80 decibels, such as a lawn mower, food blender or motorcycle.

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