Call Audiology Concepts Edina, MN (952) 232-5217 Burnsville, MN (952) 388-2869 Website: www.AudiologyConcepts.com 6444 Xerxes Ave Edina, MN 55423 14050 Nicollet Ave. South Suite 114 Burnsville, MN 55337 I want to get hearing aids but am worried the amplification will be painful. Many people with hearing loss experience a phenomenon where loud sounds appear to be overly loud, perhaps even painfully loud. In the audiology world, this is known as “recruitment” and is often described as an “abnormal growth of loudness”.

1. Edina MN Office 952-232-5217
Burnsville MN Office 952-388-2869
I Was Diagnosed With Hearing Loss, So Why Are Some
Sounds So Loud?!
I want to get hearing aids but am
worried the amplification will be
painful. Many people with hearing
loss experience a phenomenon where
loud sounds appear to be overly loud,
perhaps even painfully loud. In the
audiology world, this is known as
“recruitment” and is often described
as an “abnormal growth of loudness”.
However, recruitment is really not abnormal at all. There is a
physiological reason for it. When a person has hearing loss that
originates in the cochlea, this means that the tiny hair cells within
the cochlea are broken or damaged.
So, when sound enters the ear and the fluid of the inner ear
moves to stimulate these tiny hairs, it is not able to do so very
effectively due to the damaged nature of these tiny hairs. These
hairs are then unable to do their job of releasing
neurotransmitters, stimulating nerve fibers, and ultimately
sending the sound to the brain for processing. The person
experiences a loss in his/her hearing ability.
However, when a very loud sound enters the ear, the fluid
pumping into the inner ear is pumped much harder and at a
greater intensity, thus enabling the fluid to stimulate those
damaged hair cells to a similar extent as someone with normal
hearing. Suddenly, the person with hearing loss processes that
loud sound very effectively. Any sounds softer than that weren’t
Website: Audiology Concepts

2. Edina MN Office 952-232-5217
Burnsville MN Office 952-388-2869
pumping the fluid hard enough to process sound very well, but a
very loud sound was able to do so more effectively.
Thus…it often appears to be a sudden growth of loudness. There
is usually some “peaking” point where sounds go from muffled
and soft (hearing loss), to suddenly very loud. Again, this is
common and normal in people with cochlear hearing loss.
This is why it is also very effective for people with hearing loss to
utilize hearing aids with compression abilities. The audiologist will
test the patient to determine the level at which loud sounds
become overly loud, and he/she will program the hearing aids to
automatically compress (soften) any incoming sounds that
exceed that uncomfortable level. Thus, this makes the hearing
aids much more comfortable and the user never has to be worry
about painfully loud sounds.
Website: Audiology Concepts