What is "recruitment" in the context of hearing loss?

Recruitment refers to the phenomenon where individuals with hearing loss experience an exaggerated perception of loudness, especially as sound levels increase. This often occurs in cases of sensorineural hearing loss, where the auditory system is not able to properly process sounds. As a result, sounds that are moderately loud may seem painfully loud to someone experiencing recruitment.

Understanding recruitment is crucial for hearing aid providers as it influences the fitting and adjustment of hearing devices. These individuals may require specific configurations to ensure that sounds are amplified appropriately without becoming uncomfortably loud.

The other options relate to different aspects of hearing loss but do not define recruitment. Loss of ability to hear soft sounds refers to difficulty detecting faint sounds, while loss of clarity in complex sounds pertains to challenges in understanding speech in noisy settings. Difficulty hearing in noisy environments emphasizes struggles with background noise but does not capture the unique aspect of how loudness perception is altered in recruitment.