May 22, 2019
Are you straining to hear? Do you ask your friends and loved ones to repeat themselves often or feel like you just can’t connect like you used to? If you’ve been struggling with your relationships, or have noticed that something’s not quite right, then here’s what you need to know about recognizing the signs of hearing loss.
Hearing Loss is Gradual
Hearing loss can be sudden, when you’re exposed to one extremely loud sound that permanently damages your hearing, or when you experience an illness or injury that damages your ears. However, hearing loss is usually gradual, and has a way of creeping up on you when you’re not expecting it. It might start with missing the odd word here and there, but if left untreated, hearing loss can have some major consequences on your health and well-being. Recognizing the signs of hearing loss in yourself or your loved ones is important so that you’ll notice your hearing loss as soon as possible, and seek treatment.
Turning Up the Volume
Has your family been complaining about the volume of the TV? One of the earliest signs of hearing loss is reaching for the volume control to help you hear. You might not even notice at first that you’re struggling to hear, but your loved ones are likely to recognize the tell-tale signs of hearing loss, such as turning to the volume on the TV, radio, or phone. Have you been turning up the volume and still failing to understand what’s been said? Hearing loss affects not just the volume of the sounds you’re straining to hear, but also the quality. Making things louder won’t improve the clarity of speech, and you won’t be able to understand the characters in your favorite TV show even with the volume on maximum.
Listening in Background Noise
Another early sign of hearing loss is struggling to hear in places with a lot of background noise. In the quiet of your own home you might be able to hear just fine, but when you’re trying to have a conversation in a crowded restaurant, you won’t be able to hear what’s been said. That’s because when you have hearing loss, it’s much harder to distinguish between the speech sounds you want to hear, and the distracting background noises, and you’ll have trouble focusing on the important sounds.
Can You Repeat That?
Have you been asking your loved ones to repeat themselves over and over again? If you have hearing loss, you might think that everyone around you is mumbling, or talking too softly. But if you ask everyone to repeat themselves, there’s a good chance the problem is in your ears, and not your friends’ fault. With hearing loss it can be difficult to understand what’s been said because certain sounds, like consonant sounds, are easily lost, and even if you feel like you’re hearing everything, you’ll be missing some of the sounds you need to make sense of what’s been said.
If you’ve been having trouble communicating, you may have noticed that you stay home more often than before, and don’t accept invitations to social events. You’re tired of struggling to hear, and don’t want to annoy people when you ask them to repeat what they’ve said, or face the strange looks you get when you mishear what’s been said and answer inappropriately.
Phone Conversations
Have you started to ignore the phone when it rings? Is understanding on the phone very difficult? Those with hearing loss often struggle to follow conversations on the phone, and without facial cues and body language, have a difficult time processing information on the phone. If you’re straining to hear on the phone, you need to consider that you probably have hearing loss.
Clear Hearing and Audiology
If you’ve recognized any of these signs of hearing loss, don’t waste another day, but call us today at Clear Hearing and Audiology. We’ll perform a hearing test to find out exactly what you can and can’t hear, and recommend the hearing aids that have the power to change your life. You can schedule a free 2-week hearing aid trial to experience life with clear hearing, and try our state-of-the-art devices before you buy.