About 11.5 million Americans have a hearing impairment, ranging from difficulty in hearing conversation to total hearing loss. That's about 3.5 percent of the population. 

This article will dive into the symptoms of hearing loss, including:

• What are the three types of hearing loss, and what are the symptoms of each?
• What are the seven signs of hearing loss?
• What are the risk factors for hearing loss and deafness?
• When is hearing loss considered deafness? 
• When should a person see a doctor about hearing loss or deafness?
• Where to get more information about hearing loss and deafness.

What are the three types of hearing loss, and what are the symptoms of each?

The three types of hearing loss are:

• Sensorineural hearing loss is permanent hearing loss that occurs when inner ear nerves become damaged and do not properly transmit signals to the brain. The affected person may feel like people mumble when speaking normally. This type of hearing loss is common with aging. 
• Conductive hearing loss can be either temporary or permanent. This hearing loss is caused by something preventing sound from reaching the inner ear. People who experience this condition may find that voices and sounds appear faint.
• Mixed hearing loss is a combination of both sensorineural and conductive hearing loss. In this case, hearing loss is often gradual and not immediately noticed by the person affected. 

What are the seven signs of hearing loss?

The seven common signs of hearing loss are:

1. Muffled speech and other sounds
2. Harder to understand words, especially in a crowd
3. Difficulty hearing consonants
4. Asking others to repeat themselves or speak more slowly, clearly, and loudly
5. Turning up the volume of the television
6. Withdrawing from conversations
7. Avoiding social settings

What are the risk factors for hearing loss and deafness?

There are many risk factors linked to hearing loss and deafness, including:

• Natural degeneration of inner ear structures occuring with aging.
• An autoimmune disorder of the inner ear.
• Long-term exposure to loud sounds. 
• An extremely loud sound, like an explosion, can cause sudden hearing loss.
• A head injury that damaged the ear.
• Genetic makeup makes some people more susceptible to ear damage from sound or deterioration from aging. According to a 2017 article published by GeneReviews, hearing loss that appears early in childhood, before a baby can speak, is sensorineural and usually genetic. hearing loss that appears early in childhood, before a baby can speak, is sensorineural and usually genetic. 
• Medications and certain chemotherapy drugs can damage the inner ear. 
• Diseases or illnesses resulting from high fever may damage the cochlea.
• Ménière's disease usually starts in people between 30 and 50 years old. A person with this disease will often have sensorineural hearing loss. Dizziness and ringing in the ear are common. Sensitivity to loud sounds may also happen. The hearing loss comes and goes, but over time some loss becomes permanent. The cause of this disease is unknown.

When should a person see a doctor about hearing loss or deafness?

Contact a medical expert if:

• Hearing problems are interfering with life.
• Hearing problems worsen.
• Hearing is worse in one ear than the other.
• The hearing loss is sudden or accompanied by ringing in the ear.
• There is ear pain in addition to hearing loss.
• Hearing loss is accompanied by a headache, weakness, or numbness anywhere in the body.

When is hearing loss considered deafness?

The World Health Organization (WHO) breaks hearing loss and deafness into three categories.

• A person who cannot hear as well as someone with normal hearing – hearing thresholds of 20 dB or better in both ears – is said to have hearing loss. The Ability Central Portal has a library of articles on hearing loss to help you understand the diagnosis and early signs.
• Hard of hearing refers to people with hearing loss ranging from mild to severe. People who are hard of hearing usually communicate through spoken language and can benefit from hearing aids, cochlear implants, and other assistive devices and captioning. 
• People who are Deaf usually have profound hearing loss, which implies very little or no hearing. Deaf people often use sign language for communication, and are likely to associate culturally with deafness, often regarding it not as a disability but as a facet of their identity. Learn more by reading 8 quick facts about hearing loss and deafness. 

Where can I get more information on hearing loss and deafness?

For more information on hearing loss and deafness, see Ability Central’s library of articles, including: 

• What Does It Mean to Be Deaf? 8 Quick Facts
• Understanding a Hearing Loss or Deafness Diagnosis and Your Next Steps
• Long-term Support and Planning for People Who Are Deaf