It isn’t like you simply wake up one day, and suddenly can’t hear. Hearing loss, especially when it’s associated with aging, generally advances in degrees. You may not detect it’s taking place right away but some signs do show up earlier.
The early symptoms of progressive hearing loss are discrete. Delaying the progression of hearing loss and its associated health challenges is a matter of early detection. However, you can’t recognize the signs if you don’t know what they are. You may be developing hearing loss if you notice any of the following eight barely noticeable signs.
1. Some voices you can’t hear very well, others you can
Perhaps you can hear the cashier perfectly, but when your wife chimes in on the conversation, everything gets muddled. It’s a common sign of sensorineural hearing loss or damage to the nerves that send electrical messages to the brain.
Her voice is less clear to you because it’s higher in pitch. You may not be able to hear your daughter or grandchild very well for the same reason. Even higher pitched tones such as the phone ringing or alarm clock can get lost. Those are also high pitched tones.
2. You don’t like to talk on the phone
When the phone rings you are inclined to make excuses for not answering:
- It’s a brand new phone, and I’m simply not used to it yet
- I get tons of spam calls – that’s probably what it is
Contemplate why you dread using your phone. It will be a useful idea to get someone else to check the phone for you if the volume is at max and you still aren’t able to hear what the other person is saying. You probably have a hearing loss issue if you can’t hear the voice but your friend can.
3. Why does everyone mumble these days?
It used to be just the kids, but lately, the lady on the TV news, the bartender, your neighbor, and your spouse all seem like they are mumbling when they speak with you. It’s difficult to imagine that everybody in your life suddenly has bad enunciation so this is a good indication of hearing decline. How you hear words is changing. Mumbling or lost consonants like “S” or “T” is one of the first indications that your hearing is changing.
4. What?
You may not even recognize that you can’t hear conversations anymore until someone points out that you’re saying “What?” during conversations a lot. Frequently, the first people to detect you are developing hearing loss are the people you see on a daily basis, like family and coworkers. If someone comments on it, you should pay attention.
5. What’s that ringing in my ears?
This sign is a bit more obvious, but unless it becomes a disruption, people tend to disregard it. A common sign of hearing loss is a ringing in the ears, known as tinnitus.
Tinnitus can also be intermittent because triggers are a significant factor. Perhaps, when you first get up in the morning is when you have the most significant ringing or buzzing. Or, it could also be an indication of high blood pressure, circulatory issues, or trauma.
If you’re experiencing these symptoms you should schedule an appointment for an exam because they might be a sign that you’re having a health problem.
6. It’s not as enjoyable going to the neighborhood get-together
It’s no fun when it sounds like that many people are mumbling at the same time. It’s so much harder to understand what people are saying in loud settings. It becomes extremely difficult for you to hear anything when you’re around something as simple as the AC turning on or youngsters splashing and playing in the pool. And attempting to keep up with conversations is exhausting.
7. You feel more tired than usual
Battling to understand words is exhausting. You feel more fatigued than usual because your brain needs to work overtime to try and process what it’s trying to hear. Your other senses may even begin to change. If your brain is using 110 percent of its time and energy to understand words, what’s left for your eyesight or balance? If your last eye exam was normal, then the next thing to get checked is your ears.
8. Why can’t I hear this TV?
When you have to keep turning the volume on your TV up, it becomes all too easy to place the blame on your service provider or that old TV. When you’re experiencing hearing loss it’s difficult to follow along with dialog on your favorite shows. Dialogue is being muddled by background music and sound effects. There are other things like the room AC or ceiling fan to cope with. If you keep cranking the volume up, then your hearing might be failing.
Luckily, if your hearing is failing, hearing aids can help, you just need to get a hearing test.
Call us today to make an appointment for a hearing assessment if you’ve detected any of the above signs.