Do You Have Hearing Loss? How To Tell
According to research, millions of people are currently living with hearing loss without knowing they have an impairment. Most think they are fine because the decline in their hearing occurred over so many years and sometimes decades.
Unfortunately, hearing loss is one of those things that has a tendency to creep up on people. One minute, they think they are okay, but the next they are straining to understand what’s going on around them.
Ideally, you don’t want to be one of these people. The reason is the effects hearing loss can have on the ears and brain. Once you lose it, the risk of tinnitus and problems with brain atrophy increase.
Fortunately, there are ways to tell you have hearing loss, they just require paying attention.
Struggling To Follow Conversions
Struggling to follow conversations is one of the first signs of hearing loss and something that affects almost everyone who is hard of hearing. You’ll notice this if you find yourself asking people to repeat themselves in noisy settings, like family gatherings or restaurants.
If you feel like other people are mumbling, it could mean that you have sensorineural hearing loss. You can find out more about this type of hearing impairment online, but it is the one most associated with aging.
Turning Up The Volume
Another sign you might have hearing loss is if you find yourself constantly turning up the volume on your computer, TV, or radio. Previously, you might have put it on a setting of 30, but now you need to crank it up to 55 to hear what’s being said.
Usually, the problem isn’t with your devices, it’s with your ears. Turning up the volume all the time is a sign that they are less sensitive than they once were.
The same applies to phone calls. Being unable to hear or understand the person on the other end of the line is a telltale sign.
Missing Everyday Sounds
You may also find that as your hearing loss progresses, you start missing everyday sounds. For example, you might not hear phone notifications, doorbells, or birds chirping in the garden.
These noises are less conspicuous than somebody right in front of you trying to hold a conversation. But that’s precisely why people with hearing loss don’t pick up on them. They’re mostly invisible and don’t appear to be coming from anywhere.
If people keep surprising you because you can’t hear them approaching, it may be time to visit the audiologist.
Trouble With High-Pitched Sounds
Another sign of hearing loss is trouble with high-pitched sounds. Sometimes, you can’t hear women’s or children’s voices. They may sound unclear or muffled, or they may simply be too high for the sensitive machinery inside the ear to capture.
Ringing In Your Ears
Finally, if you have ringing in your ears (or any other form of sound that isn’t coming from the external world), it could be a sign of hearing loss. People who can’t process incoming sounds will often generate phantom noises in their minds.
