How To Know if You Have Hearing Loss

It is possible to have a temporary or permanent hearing loss. It usually develops over time as you become older, although it can also occur suddenly. It can be difficult to know if you are losing your hearing. The following are examples of common signs:

Having trouble hearing people clearly, especially when you’re in a noisy environment.

You’re having dinner at the town’s newest restaurant, and the background noise is making it impossible to hear the people at your table. Hearing loss makes it difficult to block out background noise and concentrate on conversation. This is a common patient complaint heard by hearing care professionals, and if it occurs frequently in your life, it may be time for a hearing test.

Constantly Asking People to Speak Lower and Slower

Being a little lost in conversation isn’t usually a symptom of hearing loss because our ability to handle several incoming and conflicting signals deteriorates over time. If you have trouble keeping up when two or more people are talking at the same time, such as at a work meeting or while eating dinner with family, you may have hearing loss.

Having the TV or Radio Louder Than Normal

Television shows can be difficult to follow, especially when the conversation is drowned out by music. Increasing the volume of the television does not necessarily improve the clarity of the sound. It’s time to get a hearing test if you need to turn up the TV so loudly that it’s uncomfortable for others in the room or if your neighbors can hear you.

Avoiding Social Setting That You’ve Previously Enjoyed

If you find yourself avoiding social situations that you’ve previously enjoyed, it could be you subconsciously realizing that you’re unable to follow conversation anymore. If this happens, visit a hearing health professional for an assessment.

Having to Concentrate Harder Than Normal to Differentiate Voices

It’s mentally and physically exhausting to constantly strain to hear and follow a conversation. Even a normal day can leave you fatigued and worn out if you do so. You may have hearing loss if a regular day of chatting with coworkers, friends and family leaves you with a headache or physically exhausted.

Experiencing Ringing in the Ears

Ringing in the ears, otherwise known as tinnitus, often goes hand in hand with hearing loss. It’s worth getting checked out even if it turns out to be nothing serious.

Difficulty Hearing Women or Children’s’ Voices

Hearing loss in a specific frequency range is normal, and hearing loss in the high frequencies is more prevalent as you become older. It’s sometimes more difficult to hear what your granddaughter or wife is saying to you than it is to hear what your male friend with the booming, deep voice is saying to you since women and children talk at higher pitches or frequencies.

You Find Yourself Saying What a Lot

Finally, you don’t have hearing loss just because you didn’t hear a mumbling coworker from 10 feet away. If, on the other hand, what is becoming your most frequently used word, it could indicate that you aren’t getting the sound signals you need to properly comprehend speech. Another indicator is that you rely on your partner to interpret for you in order to compensate for your hearing loss.