Low-Frequency Hearing Loss
Low-frequency hearing loss is a pattern in which hearing thresholds are poorer at lower pitches (typically below 1,000 Hz) while hearing at higher frequencies remains relatively better. This is the reverse of the more common high-frequency pattern seen in age-related and noise-induced hearing loss.
Low-frequency hearing loss is less common and is associated with conditions such as Meniere's disease, certain autoimmune conditions, sudden sensorineural hearing loss in some cases, and specific genetic factors. The experience differs from high-frequency loss. People with low-frequency loss may have difficulty hearing the rumble of traffic, low-pitched voices, or low-frequency environmental sounds. Speech may sound thin or tinny rather than muffled.
Hearing aid programming for low-frequency hearing loss requires amplifying the lower end of the frequency spectrum, which can feel unnatural to some wearers at first.
