Slide Presentation from the AHRQ 2007 Annual Conference

Degree of Hearing Loss

Screen shot of the middle section of the Newborn Hearing Screening (NHS) Web page titled "Degree of Hearing Loss."

Degree of hearing loss refers to the severity of the loss. There are five broad categories that are typically used. The numbers are representative of the patient's thresholds, or the softest intensity that sound is perceived.

Normal range or no impairment—0 dB HL to 20 dB HL

Mid loss—20 dB HL to 40 dB HL

Moderate loss—40 dB HL to 60 dB HL

Severe loss—60 dB HL to 85 dB HL

Profound loss—85 dB HL or greater