More than 500 million people worldwide suffer from some degree of hearing loss. You might be one of them. If you are, a hearing aid can help you regain your hearing so you can live the life you're used to.

Everyday sounds are part of life's most meaningful experiences. Are you having difficulty hearing the sound of a purring cat? Or the crisp crunch of snow under your boot on a cold winter morning? Or birds singing in your garden?
 
If so, there's a chance you have hearing loss.
 

Hearing loss usually develops gradually - so gradually that you don't notice the loss of these subtle everyday sounds. Before you know it, you could start missing the important sounds in your everyday life, such as the voices of loved ones..
 
Of course, you may not think your hearing loss is severe enough to worry about. But however mild your hearing loss might be, you'll find that your life will greatly improve by doing something about the problem.
 

There are many kinds of hearing loss, but most fall into two categories: sensorineural or conductive .
 

This is the most common type of hearing loss. Sensorineural hearing loss is caused by damage to the tiny hair cells in the ear that help transmit sound to your brain. These can bend or break due to:

• Exposure to very loud noises
• Genetic disposition
• Virus infections in the inner ear
• Certain medical treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation
• Head injury
• Age

The effects are almost always the same - it becomes harder to distinguish speech from noise, certain high-pitched sounds such as birdsong disappear altogether, people seem to be mumbling and you often have to ask them to repeat themselves.
 
Sensorineural hearing loss is permanent and can't be corrected medically, but a hearing aid can almost always help.
 

This is caused by any blockage that prevents sound reaching the inner ear. This might include:

• A build-up of earwax
• Fluid in the middle ear
• Unusual bone growth in the middle ear
• Middle ear infections
• Small holes in the eardrum

 
Conductive hearing loss is not necessarily permanent and can often be corrected medically or surgically.
 

Your hearing is measured in a scale of decibels (dB) compared to 'normal' hearing. This scale is used to evaluate whether you have hearing loss, and if so, to what degree.
 
During your hearing examination, your hearing care professional will test your hearing and present the results in an audiogram (see below).
 

This scale shows different levels of hearing loss (HL).

Normal hearing (<25dB HL)
Mild (26-40dB HL)
You have trouble hearing or understanding soft speech and whispers, or speech over background noise
Moderate (41-55 dB HL)
You have trouble hearing or understanding regular speech up close or regular speech in a quiet office environment
Moderately severe (56-70 dB HL)
You have trouble hearing or understanding everyday conversations or a telephone ringing
Severe (71-90 dB HL)
You can only hear loud sounds such as very loud speech, sirens or a door slamming
Profound (90+ dB HL)
You have trouble hearing sounds such as a motorbike or power tools
 
The degree of hearing loss is an important factor when choosing a hearing aid. Not all hearing aids will suit all degrees of hearing loss.
 

An audiogram is a visual representation of your hearing. During the hearing test, your hearing healthcare professional will plot the results into the audiogram.

This is a typical audiogram for a person with normal hearing:

And this is a typical audiogram for a person with age-related hearing loss:

Wearing a hearing aid means rediscovering the pleasure of gathering with friends and family, feeling more confident at work, and enjoying films, music and TV programs. A hearing aid means living with all of your five senses again.
 

Delaying tough decisions is a natural reaction, but confronting hearing loss quickly will make it easier to deal with. The longer you leave it, the harder it is for your brain to comprehend certain sounds because it no longer hears them every day.
 
A hearing aid prevents this deterioration of your ability to relearn to interpret sounds.

Today's hearing instruments are as small, comfortable and attractive as they are powerful and they have limited impact on your appearance. In fact, most people won't even notice that you're wearing one.
 

If you suspect that someone close to you has a hearing problem, there's a lot you can do to help.
 

We know that hearing loss affects family and friends too. While the hearing-impaired person in your life misses out on many things, you may also feel irritation, frustration or sometimes even anger because you can't communicate with them.
 
This section contains information and suggestions on how you can tackle the problem together with your family or friends.