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Hearing threshold
Our hearing threshold is the quietest sound that we can hear at different frequencies.
Sound is measured in decibels (dB) with conversational voice around 60dB and a whisper around 30dB. A hearing test measures the quietest sounds that can be heard at different frequencies from low (125Hz) to high frequency sounds (8000Hz), similar to the low notes and high notes on a piano. This information is recorded on a graph called an audiogram, shown in the picture below.
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The British Society of Audiology uses the following descriptors to categorise the degree of hearing loss.
Average hearing threshold levels (dBHL)
Mild to moderate
Mild hearing loss
Moderate hearing loss
Severe hearing loss
Profound hearing loss
21 - 40 41- 70 71- 95
In excess of 95
Glue ear can result in a mild to moderate hearing loss
