Hearing Loss and Word Recognition

Hearing loss does not only limit the range of frequencies that one can hear. Most forms of hearing loss, including the gradual impairment that can develop with age, also diminish the clarity of sounds for affected people. For most hearing impaired individuals, this problem is most keenly felt when they are trying to follow a conversation.

Depending on the cause and extent of hearing loss, hearing aids can be a very effective solution to loss of sound clarity. At HearingPlanet, we work hard to help our clients find the right technology for their circumstances. Call our hearing aid specialists at 1-800-432-7669.

Understanding Speech

Word recognition (also known as speech discrimination) is the ability to distinguish between different spoken words. People with hearing loss will often suffer from reduced word recognition due to:

• Fewer cues. Many words in the English language are only distinguishable from each other by very small, subtle sounds. For a person with hearing loss, picking up on these sounds ? which are called phonemes ? can be a challenge. Additionally, many important phonemes tend to be high frequency, making them especially difficult for many people to hear.
• Impaired cognitive processing. As you listen to another person speak, your brain is busy converting many different sounds into individual words, as well as separating the speaker?s voice from background noises like street traffic. Recent studies suggest that both of these tasks may require practice to remain strong. The longer a person lives with untreated hearing loss, the more impaired their speech processing will be.

In addition to these problems, some people with hearing loss also suffer from damage to the bones in their middles ears, their cochleas, or their brains? auditory nerves. All of these can also reduce the clarity of perceived sound.

Can Hearing Aids Help?

The effectiveness of hearing aids for increasing word recognition depends on the cause of a hearing impairment. For many people with age-related hearing loss, hearing aids can increase their ability to hear important word cues. In addition, new technology in modern hearing aids makes it easier for some to distinguish between voices and background noise.

Early intervention is very important, however. The longer a person lives with hearing loss, the harder it will be for him or her to discriminate between different sounds, even with assistance.

Contact Us

For information and referrals from an experienced hearing aid specialist, contact HearingPlanet at 1-800-432-7669.