It’s frustrating to go to a hearing clinic with mild hearing loss, only to be told your hearing falls well within normal ranges. Some also find that the devices audiologists offer patients are only really useful for people with more extensive hearing loss. Unfortunately, this is a reality for many patients at hearing clinics all across the country.
What Is Mild Hearing Loss?
Knowing what to expect with hearing issues is half the battle. Severe hearing issues will be noticeable immediately. But mild hearing loss can take a while to spot and can be easily confused for fatigue or confusion. Taking a hearing test is the first step to determining the extent of any hearing damage to determine the degree of hearing loss.
Hearing loss range typically is measured in hearing loss decibels (dB HL). These numbers represent how loud a sound has to be for the patient being tested to hear it:
- Normal hearing loss: -10 to 15 dB HL
- Slight hearing loss: 16 to 25 dB HL
- Mild hearing loss: 26 to 40 dB HL
Compare these numbers to the range of severe and profound hearing loss:
- Severe hearing loss: 71 to 90 dB HL
- Profound hearing loss: 91+ dB HL
The numbers are clear. Severe and profound hearing loss represent a degradation of hearing ability nearly double that of mild hearing loss. With such a variance between the degree of damage, you’d expect for there to be more treatment options for those who don’t have severe loss. However, until now, this was a widely overlooked segment.
So What’s the Problem?
A typical hearing test and consultation will end with a treatment recommendation from your audiologist. However, under the existing system, patients with mild hearing loss are often told their hearing issues fall within the normal hearing range and are sent on their way without a solution. This is because the current system is geared toward providing patients with hearing aids for severe and profound hearing loss. What’s more, insurers will often only pay, if at all, for hearing-aid focused solutions.
This model presents two big problems. First, audiologists are prevented from presentation options to all patients who need treatment. And second, those patients can’t find a solution despite experiencing legitimate hearing loss symptoms. This can be discouraging for people who have symptoms like
- Hearing muffled speech or having difficulties understanding conversation
- Trouble hearing against background noise
- Frequently needing to ask others to speak more slowly or clearly
- Avoiding social settings in which it’s difficult to hear
People who come into hearing clinics are looking for more options to treat these symptoms, and there’s no reason they shouldn’t get the assistance they need. That’s why Tuned’s mission is to empower everyone to take care of their hearing health and to promote hearing health care for all.
How Tuned Helps
Tuned is changing the typical audiology practice dynamic, with a focus on serving the broader community with hearing challenges. With a range of devices for those with mild to moderate hearing loss, as well as access to a roster of experienced audiologists unbound by insurance red tape, patients have never had more options to proactively address their hearing.
At its core, Tuned is the ultimate telehealth portal for audiologists and patients to conveniently connect. Patients can find the audiologist who specializes in their specific hearing health profile. Tuned also vets each of its audiologists, confirming compliance with all state and federal regulations.
With the industry filled with many hearing devices and hearing aids, consumers often struggle to identify the best option for them. Tuned’s audiologist-led process is designed to make that easier, helping users to match devices to their unique hearing profile and their lifestyle — no matter if they want a device for home, video calls, restaurants, or even attending concerts.
Start by joining Tuned to see how audiologists can guide you to the right solution for your hearing.
