FWIW, hearing loss is a function of noise level/time . Chronic exposure to even slightly elevated noise levels - like a "noisy" workplace, can impact your hearing over time. Acute exposure to very high noise levels - like a jet engine, explosion, muzzle blast - can also have serious effects upon hearing acuity. And therein lies the key. Its not so much the "level" of hearing loss, but the frequency range(s) response you lose ! Loss at the lower end of the spectrum or the higher end is, IMO, less important than loss in the "midrange" - where telephonic communication takes place - for example ! IOW, missing the "killer bass line" in a rock CD won't kill you. Just as losing the ability to hear dog whistles won't......But not being able to make sense of normal speaking voice frequency ranges, telephone conversations, and even normal traffic signals will !!
BTW, mine is a "first person" perspective hard earned by decades of working in high noise level environments ! "Eh? and Whaa?, have become part of my vocabulary of late ! >MW