I already have a "severe" hearing loss in one ear and "moderately severe" in the other. Most people would never know it though. For me it's less a volume issue (though that is part of it) and more a quality of sound issue. Everything sounds muffled and blurred, and I'm pretty much deaf to higher frequencies. But I adjusted so well throughout my life that I can function almost completely without my hearing aids (and when i wear them, they are so small that you can't see them unless you are looking right into my ear).
And ceo....everyone does that to me...and I always fall for it.
"I'm hard of hearing."
"what?"
"I'm hard of - Aw fuck."