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I appreciated the information about Rep. Neugebauer and his personal interest in legislation about hearing aids (page 5 of the July 11 issue of The ASHA Leader). I am very sorry he suffered a hearing loss.
I am writing because of a statement in the article: "Afterward, tests showed a 50% hearing loss in the left ear, he said." I have been a certified audiologist since 1967 and even then we agreed that describing a loss in percentage had no meaning. I thought it was agreed by all audiologists not to discuss a loss as a given percentage. Since he had medication to "fight infection," did he have some conductive component before treatment? Because he had steroids, this makes me think it was sensorineural from the onset. I am curious what Rep. Neugebauer's loss really is: flat, rising, or sloping, and to what degree? What is his most comfortable loudness (MCL), his dynamic range, and his word recognition score in the affected ear?
Jan H. LeBlanc
Jonesboro, AR
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