According to the World Health Organization (WHO) classification criteria, the average hearing loss of 4000Hz is divided into 5 grades according to the degree of hearing loss: 26 40dB is mild, 41 60dB is moderate, 61 80dB is severe, and more than 81dB is very severe.
Of all hearing loss, mild hearing loss is the least noticeable and is the most overlooked.
People with mild hearing loss may experience hearing difficulties in quiet environments, such as 3 meters away. This is because people with mild hearing loss listen to softer sounds in a quiet environment and need to prick up their ears, reduce the distance, and concentrate to hear clearly, such as whispering, the wind rustling leaves, birds, water droplets, etc.
First of all, let's make it clear that hearing aids are not a magic device, and they can't restore hearing to normal. A hearing aid is an assistive device that helps people hear sounds better by amplifying sounds. However, the effectiveness of hearing aids varies from person to person and depends on many factors, such as the degree of hearing loss, the type of hearing loss, the quality of the hearing aids, the shape of the ears, and the timing of the hearing loss, among others.
For mildly damaged ears, if the hearing loss isn't very severe, wearing a hearing aid may improve hearing sensitivity and help you hear your surroundings better. However, if you already have severe hearing loss, you may not be able to fully regain your hearing even with hearing aids.
Hearing aids do more than amplify sound, they also improve speech comprehension in noisy environments. Hearing aids can help people with hearing loss hear sounds while also protecting their residual hearing.
In addition, whispers within 3 meters are usually heard without the help of hearing aids due to the close distance. However, if you still need to wear hearing aids in a quiet environment, you may need to adjust your hearing aid settings or replace them with higher quality hearing aids to improve your sound and hearing.
In general, it is theoretically possible for a person with mild hearing loss to hear a whisper from 3 meters away when using a hearing aid in a quiet environment. However, the actual effect may be affected by a variety of factors such as the hearing aid model, personal adaptation, and the size of the whispered sound. If you're considering hearing aids, it's best to consult a professional to learn more about hearing aids and make personalized assessments and adjustments.