Can a person be profoundly deaf with residual hearing?

[Dixie]

I am HOH in R ear - deaf in L ear.

I think I do hear some sounds in my L ear as one time I felt this weird vibration thing with a buzzing noise in my L ear (no it wasn't a fly in case your'e wondering, ). Is it possible that I could hear *some* sounds in my L ear?

I also noticed that I could faintly hear the beeps and boops in my L ear during my last hearing test which was a year ago at work (annual hearing test as required by law), I never did pick up the results but now I wish I did. I doubt I could go their now and pick it up. I am sure it has already gone to the shredder upon my termination. However one might still be in my permanent file, just not allowed to go there as per company policy. Back on track, I thought I was hearing them through my R ear, but is it possible I was actually hearing them through my L ear despite being profoundly deaf?

So if I have to take a hearing test as per USDA requirements, I'll be sure to ask for a personal copy of the results to see what my exact dB loss is. My R ear might fall within the mild ranges whereas my L ear might fall to the Severe to Profound ranges.

 

[KristinaB]

After my last hearing test, the audi wrote in a letter that I was "total deaf, zero residual hearing, no chance for any equipment to work, missing parts of the inner ear vital to the hearing process". I still cannot hear even the pop of a punching ball that was popped in a microphone turned full blast while I had the headset on in the soundproof booth. Others 3 rooms down heard it, I never flinched.

I "hear" only those sounds in my memory. My son will be 16 in a few weeks. My family tells me his voice has already dropped and changed, however, I still "hear" the little child that he was.

 

[AJWSmith]

Technical usage of a word can be different from its everyday usage

I think the confusion arises because the word profound used in a normal everyday way means "extreme" or "very deep". So I used to think that being profoundly deaf was being totally deaf with no ability to hear sound. It was only when I came across the scale used by audiologists from mild to profound along with the decibel measurements did I realise that it was possible to be profoundly deaf and still hear some sound. It's another case where a technical use of a word can be different from it's more common everyday usage.

 

[stueyyy]

I think the confusion arises because the word profound used in a normal everyday way means "extreme" or "very deep". So I used to think that being profoundly deaf was being totally deaf with no ability to hear sound. It was only when I came across the scale used by audiologists from mild to profound along with the decibel measurements did I realise that it was possible to be profoundly deaf and still hear some sound. It's another case where a technical use of a word can be different from it's more common everyday usage.

Hi AJ I feel that really there should be 2 classifications, 1. TOTALLY, AND 2. SEVERE Hearing loss. end off so simple really. I mean I would love to go back to Severe myself, because with strain and getting close I could hear something, even not understanding what I hear a lot, I heard something.

Now its different world Totally is different no more Audio hearing tests, nothing left inside of ears at all, I wouldnt hear no matter how loud the sound. Not nice but 2 different classifications, why they make it so difficult is beyond me...

 

[AJWSmith]

Total deafness

Hi AJ I feel that really there should be 2 classifications, 1. TOTALLY, AND 2. SEVERE Hearing loss. end off so simple really. I mean I would love to go back to Severe myself, because with strain and getting close I could hear something, even not understanding what I hear a lot, I heard something.

Now its different world Totally is different no more Audio hearing tests, nothing left inside of ears at all, I wouldnt hear no matter how loud the sound. Not nice but 2 different classifications, why they make it so difficult is beyond me...

I agree that there should be an additional grade beyond profound such as total to distinguish people who cannot hear any sound as that is big difference from being able to hear something however poorly.

 

[Hohtopics]

I agree that there should be an additional grade beyond profound such as total to distinguish people who cannot hear any sound as that is big difference from being able to hear something however poorly.

If you're talking about actually having a little hearing even when not wearing hearing aids? Then those usually falls within the severe range. While it's those within the profound range that usually pretty much hardly hear anything without the hearing aids. There's a difference.

 

[jillio]

I agree that there should be an additional grade beyond profound such as total to distinguish people who cannot hear any sound as that is big difference from being able to hear something however poorly.

The individual that does not have some residual hearing is extremely rare. Generally, they are CI users who have had their residual hearing destroyed by the surgery.

 

[jillio]

If you're talking about actually having a little hearing even when not wearing hearing aids? Then those usually falls within the severe range. While it's those within the profound range that usually pretty much hardly hear anything without the hearing aids. There's a difference.

That is not correct. Severe is a different classification based on dB loss. There are many who fall into the profound range that have residual hearing, and not just residual hearing, but useful residual hearing.

 

[messymama]

In Italy they actually make a difference between "sordità profonda" and "cofosi", which means no residual at all. Anyway, some profound deafs I know can hear something even without HA. My son sometimes turns at loud sounds even without aids (after all, we make sound tests without aids to understand how much residual hearing he has). Plus, here is a HUGE difference between a 90-95db deafness and a 120-130db. It also depends on what frequencies you actually have... Being 95db in speech frequencies may allow you to hear some more sounds than having a slope down at 1000 hz, I guess. It's interesting because I know people who apparently got "better" while growing, simply because they learned to recognize sounds with HA... and so they improved their ability to "hear" even unaided (I'm talking about profound deafs and sound tests, I guess what they hear is anyway not useful in daily life). It's such an individual thing.

 

[Hohtopics]

That is not correct. Severe is a different classification based on dB loss. There are many who fall into the profound range that have residual hearing, and not just residual hearing, but useful residual hearing.

When you talk about having residual hearing, are you talking about actually having a little hearing even without the hearing aid? Cause I do have some hearing in the ear I wear an hearing aid with but pretty much cannot hear anything without it.

 

[posts from hell]

When you talk about having residual hearing, are you talking about actually having a little hearing even without the hearing aid? Cause I do have some hearing in the ear I wear an hearing aid with but pretty much cannot hear anything without it.

Thats... because like uh, real life is not that loud.

 

[stueyyy]

no we talking about TOTAL loss

If you're talking about actually having a little hearing even when not wearing hearing aids? Then those usually falls within the severe range. While it's those within the profound range that usually pretty much hardly hear anything without the hearing aids. There's a difference.

Profound is different from TOTAL, As someone said on here they are profoundly Deaf but can hear an plane?

You Could put fog horn to my ears I wouldnt hear anything, where I have nothing they have skin grafted ear canals as there is nothing to look at.

 

[stueyyy]

Yes you are right

The individual that does not have some residual hearing is extremely rare. Generally, they are CI users who have had their residual hearing destroyed by the surgery.

Born Deaf L ear severe R ear

Yes it is rare, my left ear was completely Obliterated because of many things Abscess on brain,labrythitis had labrynthectomy, after years of ops on that ear they removed ALL cochlear everything, and cant have cochlear in L ear.

Right ear was also Completely Obliterated etc etc, I had Cochlear Implant and it was 60/40 against it working but they thought I deserved a chance, IT FAILED, And has now been removed....

I once was 1 HA wearer dropped to Hard of Hearing, then down to Severe, then profound, now TOTALLY. Yes It is rare indeed. And Tinnitus on top PHEEW.

 

[deafskeptic]

Born Deaf L ear severe R ear

Yes it is rare, my left ear was completely Obliterated because of many things Abscess on brain,labrythitis had labrynthectomy, after years of ops on that ear they removed ALL cochlear everything, and cant have cochlear in L ear.

Right ear was also Completely Obliterated etc etc, I had Cochlear Implant and it was 60/40 against it working but they thought I deserved a chance, IT FAILED, And has now been removed....

I once was 1 HA wearer dropped to Hard of Hearing, then down to Severe, then profound, now TOTALLY. Yes It is rare indeed. And Tinnitus on top PHEEW.

I met one deaf man on World of Warcraft who was totally deaf. His ear bones crumbled away many years ago and he can hear nothing at all now.

What struck me about how he viewed his deafness - he didn't think he could do anything cuz he was deaf.

 

[rockin'robin]

I have no ear drums, due to a very rare disease, and my auditory nerves are dead, due to a blotched surgery (4 to be exact). So, I can safely say, I'm profound/totally deaf. Since I was born hearing, tho', I still have the "memory" of what things sounded like....and when a train or a airplane goes by...the memory that that "sound" fills my head...Even loud machinery or a loud car reeving...loud mufflers, etc.

And oft' times, I do seem to "hear" things that are somewhat "muffled"....I've always asked "what was that noise"?.....and 95% of the time, there was "no noise"...or someone saying "I didn't hear anything".

 

[AlleyCat]

And oft' times, I do seem to "hear" things that are somewhat "muffled"....I've always asked "what was that noise"?.....and 95% of the time, there was no noise...or someone saying "I didn't hear anything".

I can relate to the bolded! Sometimes I think I have a moment of "crazy"

 

[Beowulf]

I have no ear drums, due to a very rare disease, and my auditory nerves are dead, due to a blotched surgery (4 to be exact). So, I can safely say, I'm profound/totally deaf. Since I was born hearing, tho', I still have the "memory" of what things sounded like....and when a train or a airplane goes by...the memory that that "sound" fills my head...Even loud machinery or a loud car reeving...loud mufflers, etc.

And oft' times, I do seem to "hear" things that are somewhat "muffled"....I've always asked "what was that noise"?.....and 95% of the time, there was "no noise"...or someone saying "I didn't hear anything".

I know exactly how you feel! Sometimes I would watch tv with my hearing aid on, and then take it off. I can still "hear" the voices on whatever program I am watching, voices, car crashes, wind through treetops, what have you. I love it!

 

[Lavender]

Well, I'm total deaf in somewhat but I can hear a car crash back of my head while I was driving in my car very slow traffic on the fwy. I just knew it after I heard another car got crash again every turn. I had to move quickly my car to get off the lane on the empty space before they might hit next to my car, then I realized that I was lucky.
Even outside I still can hear while I was sitting in the living room watching TV with 2 deaf roommates, then all the sudden I heard a glass broken from the outside by the street. That's becuz I wear two hearing aids one on the left side by the door n' the other right side I don't hear anything. That's how I found out it was too obvious direction from the outside becuz I don't see exit door nothing happens.

 

[stueyyy]

education

Well, I'm total deaf in somewhat but I can hear a car crash back of my head while I was driving in my car very slow traffic on the fwy. I just knew it after I heard another car got crash again every turn. I had to move quickly my car to get off the lane on the empty space before they might hit next to my car, then I realized that I was lucky.
Even outside I still can hear while I was sitting in the living room watching TV with 2 deaf roommates, then all the sudden I heard a glass broken from the outside by the street. That's becuz I wear two hearing aids one on the left side by the door n' the other right side I don't hear anything. That's how I found out it was too obvious direction from the outside becuz I don't see exit door nothing happens.

Two Hearing Aids DO NOT make you Total deaf or somewhat!!

TOTAL IS TOTAL, a lot of people really dont understand it is rare, either born total Deaf, Operated on with removal of structures make you Total. My Ops removed EVERYTHING, I Have nothing in ears at all, ZERO, NOTHING, no ear drums no cochlears no nerves all dead and gone NOTHING...Been from Deaf Left ear, Profound Right ear with H.Aid but still heard something.

Now different Ball game, TOTAL DEAF.. I saw anyone wearing Hearing Aid and they say they are total Deaf I would go mad...I feel a lot of people need educating. Cochlear implantee's when they take it off they are Total unless they had 1 fairly good ear, on other side.

 

[posts from hell]

Two Hearing Aids DO NOT make you Total deaf or somewhat!!

TOTAL IS TOTAL, a lot of people really dont understand it is rare, either born total Deaf, Operated on with removal of structures make you Total. My Ops removed EVERYTHING, I Have nothing in ears at all, ZERO, NOTHING, no ear drums no cochlears no nerves all dead and gone NOTHING...Been from Deaf Left ear, Profound Right ear with H.Aid but still heard something.

Now different Ball game, TOTAL DEAF.. I saw anyone wearing Hearing Aid and they say they are total Deaf I would go mad...I feel a lot of people need educating. Cochlear implantee's when they take it off they are Total unless they had 1 fairly good ear, on other side.

why you so mad?