Percentage Of Hearing Loss | Why Your Word Recogniton Score (WRS) Is Critical
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- Опубліковано 13 лип 2018
- What is your Percentage of Hearing Loss? Word Recognition Scores are critical to understanding your ability to hear. Dr. Cliff Olson, Audiologist and Founder of Applied Hearing Solutions in Anthem Arizona, discusses the percentage that you should really be discussing when talking about hearing loss percentage.
Website: www.DrCliffAuD.com
Clinic Website: www.AppliedHearingAZ.com
When most people talk about hearing loss percentages, they are talking about a made up percentage based on the X's and O's on the graph of an audiogram that indicate what level you hear the "beeps" during a hearing test. The problem is, this tells us NOTHING about your actual ability to hear.
The X's and O's only tell us the sensitivity of your hearing. They do not tell us what degree you can understand speech. Therefor, establishing a percentage of hearing loss on this measurement has relatively no meaning.
If someone has normal hearing in the low frequencies and a severe hearing loss in the low frequencies, how can we create a percentage of hearing loss? They have 0% loss in the lows and 80% loss in the highs. You can't average it to 40%, this would make no sense.
Instead, the only percentage you should care about is your word recognition score (WRS). The word recognition score is determined based on the accuracy to which you can understand actual speech when sound is amplified appropriately for your hearing loss based on the X's and O's. An audiologist will say or play a recorded list of single syllable words at an audible level and have you repeat them. The percentage of accuracy will be your Word Recognition Score.
For instance, if you get 20 out of 25 words correct in your right ear, you would have an 80% Word Recognition Score. If you get 10 our of 25 words correct, you would have a 40% word recognition score. Obviously, the higher the percentage, the better hearing ability you have.
WRS is significantly more important than the X's and O's on the graph. It actually indicates how well your ear and brain can interpret sound, and gives us your prognosis for success with hearing treatment. You could have Bad X's and O's with Good WRS, or Good X's and O's with Bad WRS.
What factors determine your WRS?
1. Inner Hair Cells - These are the cells inside of your Cochlea (hearing organ) that transmit sound from the ear to the brain. If these cells die, your WRS score will suffer.
2. Auditory Nerve - If your auditory nerve has a blockage, like a tumor, this sound will not entirely make it to your brain, and if it does, it will be distorted.
3. Brain Function - If your brain loses the capacity to understand speech, this will degrade your Word Recognition Score.
Once your WRS percentage drops it will not recover. There is one way that you can improve this percentage though. If you receive hearing treatment in both ears, it can drastically improve your percentage. This is because your brain has more information to work with. The 80% right ear score and 40% left ear score could result in a 100% binaural score!
Speech In Noise Video: • How Well Should You He...
So the next time someone asks you how much hearing loss you have, give them your Word Recognition Score Percentage instead of the fabricated percentage based on the X's and O's.
I’ve taken several hearing exams and the speech recognition part made me wonder why they don’t do a second one with some background noise like a room full of people talking, that’s when a conversation between yourself and another person becomes difficult.
Hi, so I'm trying to get as much information about understanding hearing loss before I go into my first appointment with an audiologist, and your videos are incredibly helpful not only in understanding what might be going on, but also the general anxiety I have about the whole situation. I've kinda been in denial but acceptance with these videos is slowly but surely coming.
Hi Eva. I'm glad you have taken the time to educate yourself. You'll end up doing fine!
A beep and a sentence are two totally different things, I absolutely love this one Dr. Your clips are amazing very informative thank you!
I just got hearing aids. My ENT gave me both the beep test and the WR test. I failed the latter miserably in my left ear. I could hear the words, but they may as well have been in a foreign language. I didn't understand why I needed two hearing aids since the hearing in my right ear is quite good. My audiologist explained it just the way it's explained here. Excellent information on this channel!
thank you for this explanation! i was just diagnosed with profound high-frequency hearing loss this year for the first time, at age 27.word recognition is exactly the problem; many words sound fuzzy/mumbly, or sound like other words--"corn" and "torn" sound the same for ex. i think the hearing loss has been progressively getting worse for 10-15 years, but i always passed beep/tone hearing tests ok, so no family doctors ever picked up on the problem. i wish more pediatricians & school nurses knew to recognize problems with word recognition--I might have gotten a diagnosis and help with my impairment much sooner. thanks again, Elizabeth
Elizabeth Lilly i agree! i was also just diagnosed with significant low frequency heating loss at 15 years old. i have seen a specialist about potential eardrum repair for both of my ears but it turns out i have eroded ossicles. this video definitely helped me understand what they were testing and how they are able to help me moving forward.
Literally the same! I'm 26, turning 27 this year, and I just found out that I have profound hearing loss for high frequency and 30% word recognition in my right ear.
I passed my tests when I was younger but one year the lady said "let's try that again" and I had to focus really hard to hear the sounds, but I passed.
My parents even bought me a funny Christmas present a long time ago. They stuck a hearing amplifier in a Beltone box. We laughed, but that was like 15 years ago.
I went in for an MRI last month and they found 'rare anatomical blood vessels' next to my hearing nerve.
I know hearing aids won't solve all my problems, but I'm hoping to start testing them out at the end of April. I mostly want directional hearing back.
I have this problem I cant hear up to 2000 hz
I think people want to hear a %age because it's a way to quantify the loss. The first time I asked I was told we don't describe it that way but a %age would give me, as a patient, a way to understand a bit about what was going on. It also helps explain to others when I don't have my aids in how difficult it is to hear. I also tell folks it's like "someone turned the lights out."
I am confused did I really have hearing loss or my AirPods loose volume exactly 1 years after purchase
I am your first like
They most likely lost volume because mine have done that in the past.
Your explanation is marvellous
Thank you for teaching me better than my audiology class :)
i’m a violinist and i’ve been playing for 11 and a half years, just last year every time i’d play forte (loud) i heard like a buzzing sound in my right ear. i went to so many doctors that specialize in hearing and they said they were completely clueless. just yesterday i was practicing my violin and i heard a sudden drop in sensitivity in my right ear and now i hear slightly less in my right ear and it’s been like that since yesterday and i’m freaking out cause i can’t hear and the doctors can’t do anything about it
My audiologist always tells me my word recognition score...very helpful to know it has remained stable.
So I’m about to sit my ILE exam (written exam) to receive my license. Any advice as to what can help me prepare for it?
Thanks for this hearing loss tips
Very important question. If FX322 Does improve word scores as it’s showed, does this imply that it is fixing hidden hearing loss or ultimately just the hair cells?
I have 50 percent of hearing loss in one ear and 50 something on the other one with Scarring and a hole would i need hearing aids because when i was little there were trying to put little circles things to hear better which explains the scarring in one ear
Sir is it good to have on exact 20db???
Hi sir...hearing aids for normal mobiles are comfortable or not? When we are using hearing aids have any changes in audio quality?
I have had 3 sets of hearing aids since 2009. This last pair (Phonax)I have had for 5 years. I was ready for a new pair due to deterioration of the hearing aids. My ENT sent me to an Audiologist for a final hearing test which revealed that I had 60% Word Recognition. I would like to mention that my ENT for the past few years has suggested I look into Cochlear Implant, however I am 82 years old and don't want to spend months of training and am petrified of the surgery process. I had gone to COSTCO (recommended by my ENT). The Hearing Aid Technician looked at the tests and I could see the worried look on her face. She said she could provide hearing aids however the hearing aids she had could not fix the Word Recognition. I was devastated. She told me to go home and think about it. Do you have any suggestions, maybe hearing aids that will benefit me that maybe COSTCO doesn't sell. I'd appreciate your response.
I was recently diagnosed with a "cookie bite" pattern hearing loss, which from my understanding affects the frequency range where speech is heard. I also have tinnitus. Do you have any videos on this pattern of hearing loss? I've been told it's fairly rare and likely genetic. I also have tinnitus.
So how does a score based on amplified word recognition help if you don't have the hearing aids to hear the words outside in the real world?
Hello sir, I am suffering from tinnitis.
Dr Cliff is there a test to tell information about sound direction ?
When I get a hearing test .what percentage does the doctor say I have a problem. And need hearing aids or somthing ? I’m going today
The 3 parts you mentioned of word recognition which part would medication effect , would it be the nerve. As I have stopped my medication and my word recognition is coming back.
I had a speech recognition test done for the first time in November but they said that like me normal hearing test results they look pretty good and are almost at normal hearing levels but when I listen to music and it's significantly more quiet on the left side and when speaking to people that are walking on my right side I can understand them much better than when they are on the left. I've searched for an app or settings to fix the issue with the headphones but my phone doesn't have accessibility settings
Now I'm very important to using Mobile phone but I have hearing loss both left and right(30% & 50%) when I wearing hearing aids..is it comfortable to mobiles..? Please clarify me
It is stillok if my hearing loss is moderate and mild?what should i do?
Sir my baby right ear 50 to 55 left ear 40 to 45 sir. Sir what we do next sir plz give me solution sir.
can you describe how to calculate WRS for low frequency loss plus notch loss with some high frequency loss. how to prove it for disability certificate? they calculating 70 db avg for speech freq, namely .500 1 2 an 4k that's it . but problem is as you increase low noise become intense with speech if will not increase sound tiny if try to balance understanding problem
*What does SRT stand for???*
What will be the result of Weber's test for bilateral snhl?
With the xo and bera ....audiologist told left ear is having 80 to 90 % hearing loss and the right ear with 50 to 60% hearing loss...and when tested with hearing aids on right he was able to pick up sound and when with hearing aid in left year and noise invention in right ...
The graph plotted was very similar in both ears with hearing aid...
Now the question is audio logist doctor recommends 6 months of therapy with both ear hearing aid and ENT doctor without looking her recommendations and bybjust looking to bera tells to go for cochlear implant in left and heaing aid in right....and i was not satisfied so he recommended to check again with a senior audiologist for final opinion on December 3rd.... My son is current 1 year and 11 months old ...pls share your inputs....
Thankxx alot
How much Cilla can you lose from a bad fall around age 13 causing tinnitus. Yes I've considered a cochlear implant. What does the surgery entail. How's the recovery time? I take care of a 70 year old person in a walker. Plus a big puppy 30 lbs. ➕?
Fx 322 a possible solution in the horizon?
How do you determine word recognition score for a baby
I want an ent to see if there are blockage first.b potter
How can mild hearing loss treatment?
Should the word recognition tests be done with or without the hearing aids in? Or both?
Initially without hearing aids. You can do it with hearing aids after being fit and you should have relatively similar scores if the hearing aids are programmed correctly.
Good hearing is more than being able to hear a fly buzzing in the next room.
Thanks always good information.. Word recognition has been the issue with the aids I have. They are my first and I've had them over two years now. Biggest reason for it is poor settings and no REM was done. And it seems that's it's beginning to affect my speech now. I'm looking to get new aids soon. I'll either try Costco or go to a Medical Center. It sucks to have someone standing next to you talking and you can't understand what they are saying.
Yes more than likely.
I didn't get my word recognition score from my Doctor but she said it wasn't that good. When she showed me the graph I could see the blue line (left) was slightly higher then the red line (right) ear. she said my hearing was subpar and showed me the frequencies that most people hear in and I was below that range from the start.
So my question is "Sub Par" a term you use Doctor Cliff, and is sub par hearing bad.
True - I have more hearing loss in high frequency than low but my word recognition score was below average and yet I still wasn’t offered hearing aids yet was told come back in one year. Like hello! I need them for my job where I work in a hospital- I feel bad that on average a person has to repeat themselves about three times before I realize what their saying. I’m getting a second opinion at a diff drs office
Man you are awesome 😆
Hi. I wanted to thank you for your videos. It’s taken me so long to get the courage to make an appointment; I’m going on the 8th of August 🙏🏼
Great to hear Army Belle!
Hello, Dr. Cliff!
I have a question for you. (Please bear with me, this is kind of a long question). I am a professional musician and I was born with near perfect pitch/relative pitch. I’m 50 years old, and within only the last six years or so, I’ve noticed myself occasionally going tone deaf temporarily in my low mid range frequency/pitch perception is starting to decline, then recover on its own. As of three weeks ago, it’s not coming back. I’m scared that I’ve become permanently tone deaf to low mid range frequencies. All low mid range frequency sound a whole step (or so) flat. This really concerns me considering what I do for a living. Could this be a mechanical issue in my ear? Or permanent hearing loss? This is really starting to freak me out! 😱
What are your thoughts, please?
I would get a hearing evaluation. It is possible that you are having a Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss which may need medical treatment. Treatment success depends on how quickly you receive treatment. Get evaluated ASAP, preferably at an ENT or Otology office.
Doctor Cliff, AuD, OK, will do! Thanks for getting back to me! 👍🏼
@@iluvj50, Much better! It may not be as good as it was when I was younger, but it’s not too horribly bad anymore. Or, my mind has adapted to it.
3 months into SSNHL or is it SSHL ? No one has told me yet. Zero word recognition , vertigo still screaming tinnitus and I finally get to have a vgn or vng next month. ‘Bout done with it.
I scored a 40 out of 50 today
My elderly dad has terrible hearing loss. He describes it as "missing words" or words are being skipped as he listens to another speak. I have looked online for something like this and can't find it. Do you have an idea of what he may be talking about? He has high blood pressure and hypotension. It is very possible that the blood vessels in his ear canal are damaged. He says that hearing aids don't help. Thank you
At age 67, I had that same issue for 20 years. Your father just hasn't met the right audiologist yet. The new generation of hearing aids can do wonders. My new pair of hearing aids is bringing me sounds I haven't heard for years, and I am rarely having to ask people to repeat themselves, even with all the people who mumble and/or are wearing a mask. If he doesn't want to give new hearing aids a try, maybe he is just happier in his world of muted sounds, or like me, found the price of good aids excessive. They are pricey, but the new technology is amazing.
I lost my left ear completely ...but right ear is ok ....so plz tell me..what is %of hearing ...some dr. Tell me 25% ..that how's to possible 😒 my % is not above to 40 ??
Not sure how to answer this question without more specific information.
In your sample the WRS went up when both ears were tested at the same time. My WRSs are different in each ear ( L-45% R-57%). They never test both ears together. Have you found that WRS scores always go up when both ears are tested together? My other question is do you ever use sound in the background when doing the WRS test? I think that would be a more accurate way to test how effective hearing aids would be in improving your WRS. As always, thanks for all the great videos and blogs.
I ALWAYS test Binaural WRS if both ears are 80% or below individually. Binaural effects often increase these percentages, but not always. I always perform a separate Speech in Noise Test (QuickSIN or 2-min Speech in Noise test). The 2-minute speech in noise test does use WRS words with varying levels of speech babble. These scores help to determine your performance capabilities in background noise with/without hearing treatment.
@@DrCliffAuD Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions. I sure wish you had an office in Southern New Jersey
My 22% in left ear
What does it mean when I cannot decipher words in songs
Not sure.
Prp treatment also help for hair cell
I’ve been keeping up with a company (Frequency Theraputics) that has a promising ear hair cell regeneration therapy in the works. The company is in clinical trials currently for phase 1 & 2. Dr Cliff, you stated that it’s decades away, can you please elaborate on your opinion as to why it will take that long?
After hearing researchers talk at the AAA conference this year, it has taken them decades to get to this point, but they still haven't even identified exactly which method will be able to restore/regrow hair cells. Add on years of clinical trials and FDA approval and it likely adds up to decades. I HOPE that I am wrong and that it happens sooner, but I don't think it will be before 2028.
Ok but when your in an environment with background noise it’s very different. Background noise make my hearing really bad
hello sir,
my right side ear 16.6 dbhl and left side ear 96.6 dbhl value of pure tone audiometry(PTA). what is the percentage of hearing loss?
Where are you in Arizona??
Hi Betty, I'm in Anthem Arizona.
My hearing loss is mild he is dangerous?
Which frequencies are taking while finding out pure tone average
500, 1,000, & 2,000Hz
I wish you could help me with my hearing, it would be worth the trip🙂
I recently turned 26 years old, and I've had hearing aids for almost 3 months. My audiologist said it was a genetic hearing loss, because I struggle to hear low frequency sounds..
But how do they know it's genetic? (I never told them my mother has a severe hearing loss)
He does not. Go to another doctor.
You should consider working in a K-12 setting! Or at least work in pediatrics. We teachers of the deaf need our students' audiologists to be this thorough!
Hi Deej, I appreciate the vote of confidence! 👍
I went to an ENT doctor several years ago because my local doctor didn't want to help me with my ear wax problem- so he referred me to an ENT- which of course is overkill. But, not knowing, I went. The ENT's office tested my hearing. He gave me the chart with x and o with zero explanation. Of course he did nothing for my ear wax problem or the itch in my left ear (other than say put a drop of vinegar in that ear- which didn't work to stop the itch). When talking with him- I noticed a poster showing the anatomy of the ear. I said, "amazing what evolution can come up with"- whereupon he told me he doubts evolutionary theory. Of course I've never gone back to him. I have an appointment with an audiologist in June set up by TruHearing. I'll certainly report my results somewhere in this channel.
i have 50 per cent loss on left ear and below ....lucky my right ear is holding up my hearing to some extent damage to a bone in my middle ear due to surgery take care of your kids ears
i dont get it. i had a cold and its normal for ears to get plugged and muffled, obviously. my left ear is kinda muffled, thats ok too. but, randomly.. everything sounds disorted! it goes high and low and music sounds super deep now! it just happened one moment to another!!
prettae • same here it’s so annoying!
Im Taking a Nap after like 3 days it started getting better ;D so everytime you take a shower make sure to clean your ear with like a square of toilet paper. just dont bother it :>
@@simi-fk7xd Thanks!
I have used the machine with hearing loss in both ears
Zero words right ear yet ENT has me waiting 4 more weeks to try hearing aids that I now know is a waste of time.
Also I always tell patients that DB is a logorithm and % is a linear term... so mathematically it doesn't make sense to speaks about % of a logarithm.
I've been told I have 30% loss in my left year and 50% loss in my right. I have scaring on both eardrums. Most everything i hear comes in as mumbling. My hearing loss can not be fixed I will need hearingaids the rest of my life.
You are probably correct. However, depending on your age, we may have Hair Cell regeneration at some point in the future.
so that why people keep telling my i am loud af
Sir I can not hear right hear 63db and left ear 76db so how much disability in percent please reply 🙏
Sir I have above 100 dB in only left ear than what %?
how we calculate disability percentage for 1 ear deaf
You can't. That is the general point of the video.
Then what is the point about 40 % hearing loss for disability certificate? How is that calculated?
I have problems with my left ear ever since I was a kid. I am scared to see the doctor about it. This affects me because my balance is a bit off and I have trouble recognising direction of sounds.
I think it was because of my childhood, my mother would scream at me a lot and when she cleaned my ears, she was rough and would intetionally hurt my ears until they bleed.
My son is deaf in one ear. Won't hurt to see a Dr. about it. They won't make it worse and may be able to help. Hate your mom was so rough :(
@@otterheart3844 I will during my semester break. Yeah, I hated how terrible my childhood was, but unfortunately, I didn't have a choice back then and people don't get to choose who their parents are.
Please don't be scared to see a doctor. It's better to get help and perhaps get fitted for hearing aids to assist your balance and keep stimulating the auditory nerves. So sorry that your mother was abusive. No one should be treated like that.
I had 100% wrs at 60 db and now 100% at 70 db does this mean my hearing loss is getting worse? Cookie biter here
I don’t think the word recognition test is right. I can hear most words in a sound proof box, someone pronounced the words slow and correctly. But in the real word I can’t hear crap.
There are many factors that go into how well you should expect to perform in the real world, WRS is only one of them.
Near total deaf = 10%
If you want i can mail you all my babies reports !!!!
This Dr charges fee for his recommendation if any.he won't suggest you anything for free.
Am in a g e d class
Ye vedio hindhi me hota toh kaffi helpful hota
Military disability 10% you have to be almost deaf. I know this because i have 10% only
Sometimes we may need glasses for our ears.
Above 25dB ,each dB count 1.5%
So,if I have 60dB hg loss in right ear and 65dB.
60-25=35 35×1.5%
65-25=30 30×1.5%
Formula:-
Better ear×5+poor ear
Nd than divided by 6
I was in a workplace blast(violent explosion) while working in an industrial job.I’ve been through six separate audiologists in the last 3 years and it has been a nightmare