The Hearing Number is a simple metric that gives you a snapshot of your hearing at the time you learn it. Your Hearing Number reflects how loud speech must be before you can hear it. The number typically ranges from about 0 to 100 decibels (dB). The higher your Hearing Number is, the louder sounds will need to be for you to hear them.
Most children have a Hearing Number that is less than 10, which means they can hear very soft sounds. As we get older, we all lose some hearing, and our Hearing Number increases. You have two Hearing Numbers: one for your right ear and one for your left ear.
The Hearing Number is also known as the pure tone average, or PTA4. The PTA4 is one of many ways that hearing care professionals measure hearing. You may have heard hearing loss described as mild, moderate, or severe. The PTA4 is used to define those broad categories too.
- Mild is a Hearing Number of 20 to 34
- Moderate is a Hearing Number of 34 to 49
- Moderately severe is a Hearing Number of 50 to 64
- Severe is a Hearing Number of 65 to 79