You may think it’d be obvious, but hearing loss will be slow, so how does one know they have it? There’s no stinging pain to function as a danger sign. You don’t lose consciousness or make a few more trips to the toilet when it occurs, either. It is safe to say the signs of hearing loss are somewhat more subtle than other age-related illnesses like diabetes or heart disease.
Even so, there are indicators if you know what you’re looking for. It’s a matter of paying attention to how you hear and the effect any change could be having in your life. Consider some ways you’re able to pinpoint hearing loss for you or someone you love.
Social Situations are Hard
The effect on socializing provides a number of the most telling signs. As an example, if the first thing from your mouth through most conversations is “what?” That should be a sign you aren’t understanding words well. Asking the people you speak to repeat what they said is something they are very likely to detect before you do, too, so listen to the way people respond to having conversations with you.
When talking in a group of a couple of individuals, you may have difficulty following along. You’re missing pieces of what everybody says, so you aren’t connecting the dots anymore. You can’t ask everyone talking to echo themselves, either, so you only get lost. Over time, you hide from group discussions or stand there not listening to what’s said, because it is just too confusing once you do.
The Background Noise Takes Over
If all you hear nowadays is background noise, then it’s time to get a hearing exam. This is a frequent sign of hearing loss since you are not able to filter out sounds just like a fan blowing off, or an air conditioner operating. It gets to the point where you can not hear what folks are saying for you because it becomes lost in the background sound.
The TV Goes Up and Up
It is easy to blame the need to turn the TV volume up on that tired box because of a noisy room, but when it occurs every day, it’s most likely an indication of gradual hearing loss. When everybody else starts telling you that you have the TV or computer volume too loud, you should wonder why this really is, and, probably, come to terms with the fact that your hearing is not like it was at one time.
You End up Watching Their Lips
Lip reading is a coping mechanism for missed words. Gradual hearing loss starts with the reduction of tough sounds. Words that contain certain letters will probably be incomplete. Your brain might automatically shift your eyes to the person’s lips to repair the problem. Chances are you won’t even understand you do it until someone tells you or suddenly acts uncomfortable when talking to you.
Then There’s the Buzzing
It can be a ringing, clicking or buzz or the sound of wind in your ears — medically that is called tinnitus, and it is an indication of significant hearing loss. These sounds are not real, but auditory hallucinations that just you hear. For some people, they are just bothersome, but for many others tinnitus is debilitating. If you have it, then you certainly have hearing loss you will need to address.
Hearing problems aren’t always evident to the person experiencing them, but it is to others. Listen to what your loved ones are telling you about your hearing. Consider, too, other medical issues that may contribute to the problem like hypertension or medication you take that can damage your ears and find out if age-related hearing loss runs in your family.
It’s really like assembling the puzzle pieces. If you do come to that conclusion, visit your doctor and get a professional hearing test for confirmation. Hearing loss isn’t the worst health issue you could have, but for most, it does imply it’s time to consider hearing aids.