What is your hearing number?

What is your hearing number?

Most people have a reasonable idea of their blood pressure and cholesterol or are at least aware of what the healthy ranges are.

However, very few know what a typical hearing level consists of. But all that may be about to change. 

A NEW CAMPAIGN

Doctors at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in the US have launched a ‘Know your hearing number’ campaign. The aim of the campaign is that every person should know what their hearing number is so they can more easily track and measure their hearing health over time and have informed conversations about this aspect of their health. Your hearing number is the average of your hearing ability at four pitches – 500, 1000, 2000 and 4000 Hz. The higher the number, the lounder sounds need to be for you to hear them. 

• Normal hearing is a hearing number less than 20

• Mild hearing loss is a hearing number of 20 to 34

• Moderate hearing loss is a hearing number of 34 to 49

• Moderately severe hearing loss is a hearing number of 50 to 64

• Severe hearing loss is a hearing number of 65 to 79

Having a hearing number will help to move away from woolly and confusing categories as ‘mild’ and ‘moderate’ towards a more precise understanding of levels of hearing loss. 

Here to help

While the hearing number campaign is a US one, it may be only a matter of time before moves to create an official metric for hearing loss are afoot here in the UK. In the meantime, if you would like our team at The Hearing Clinic to test your hearing, provide you with your hearing number, and explain what it means for you, please call or DM us to make an appointment.  If you have any questions, or if you’re concerned about your or a family member’s hearing, we’re here to help. Please call our friendly team or email us to find out more.