Your hearing won’t be simply gone one day when you wake up. Hearing loss, particularly when it’s caused by aging, usually progresses in degrees. You might not recognize it’s happening immediately but some indicators do appear earlier.
The initial symptoms of progressive hearing loss are subtle. Delaying the progression of hearing loss and its associated health problems is a matter of early detection. However, you’re unable to detect the signs if you have no clue what they are. You might be developing hearing loss if you notice any of the following eight barely detectable indicators.
1. You hear some people just fine but not others
Maybe when you speak with your brother, you can understand him fine, but when your wife speaks, some words just seem to get lost. It’s a common indication that the nerves that transmit messages to the brain are damaged (called sensorineural hearing loss).
Her voice is higher in pitch, and that’s why it isn’t as clear. You may have the same problem with your grandchild or daughter. Even higher pitched tones like the phone ringing or alarm clock can get lost. Those tones are high, too.
2. You don’t like to talk on the phone
It’s easy to make excuses for why you don’t answer the phone when it rings:
- It’s most likely just spam
- I’m just not used to this new phone yet
Consider why you dread using your phone. If you have the volume at max and can’t hear what is being said, let a friend test the phone for you. You probably have a hearing loss problem if you can’t hear the voice but your friend can.
3. Why is everybody mumbling?
It used to be just the kids, but lately, the woman on the TV news, the bartender, your neighbor, and your partner all seem like they are mumbling when they speak with you. If it seems as if everybody in your life is mumbling, you’re probably dealing with hearing loss, because what is the likelihood of that? How you hear words is changing. Mumbling or lost consonants like “S” or “T” is one of the first indications that your hearing is going through changes.
4. You’re saying “what?” a lot
You might not even realize 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 notice that you’re developing hearing loss are the people you see every day, 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 distraction, people tend to ignore it. A common sign of hearing loss is a ringing in the ears, medically called tinnitus.
Triggers are an important factor in tinnitus so it can be periodic, too. For instance, perhaps the ringing, buzzing, or roaring only happens in the morning or when you are tired. Or, it could also be a symptom of high blood pressure, circulatory issues, or trauma.
It’s essential that you don’t ignore these tinnitus symptoms because it’s a sign that something might be wrong, so you should make an appointment right away to get checked out.
6. It isn’t as enjoyable attending the neighborhood block party
Again, there are those mumbling people, and that’s not fun. It’s so much more difficult to understand what people are saying in loud settings. Something as simple as youngsters playing and splashing around in the pool or the sound of the AC coming on you makes it extremely tough to hear anything. And trying to focus in on conversations is tedious.
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 interpret what it’s trying to hear. You may even notice differences in your other senses. 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 eyes have tested fine, now it’s time to have your ears assessed.
8. Why can’t I hear this TV?
When you have to constantly turn the volume on your TV up, it becomes all too easy to blame your service provider or that out-dated TV. When you have hearing loss it’s difficult to follow along with dialog on your favorite shows. Dialogue is being jumbled by background music and sound effects. What about the other things in the room such as the AC or the ceiling fan? Your hearing could be failing if you constantly turn up the volume.
The good news is, all it takes to know for certain is a professional hearing assessment and if you find out your hearing is failing, hearing aids will help you get back to normal.
Call us today to make an appointment for a hearing assessment if you’ve noticed any of the above signs.