Your hearing won’t be simply gone one day when you wake up. Hearing loss, particularly when it’s associated with aging, usually advances in degrees. You might not detect it’s happening right away but some indicators do appear earlier.
The initial symptoms of progressive hearing loss are subtle. Delaying the progression of hearing loss and its related health challenges is a matter of early detection. However, you’re unable to recognize the signs if you don’t know what they are. Consider these eight barely noticeable signs that you might have hearing loss.
1. Some voices you can’t hear very well, others you can
Maybe you can understand the cashier just fine, but when your wife joins the conversation, everything gets muddled. It’s a common indication of sensorineural hearing loss or damage to the nerves that deliver electrical signals to the brain.
Her voice is not as clear to you because the pitch is higher. You might have the same problem with your grandchild or daughter. Even higher pitched tones such as the phone ringing or alarm clock can get lost. Those tones are high, also.
2. You avoid phone conversations
When the phone rings you are inclined to make excuses for not picking it up:
- It’s a brand new phone, and I’m simply not used to it yet
- It’s likely just spam
Contemplate why you dislike talking on your phone. It will be a useful idea to get someone else to test the phone for you if the volume is all the way up and you still aren’t able to hear what the other person is saying. If they are able to hear the conversation and you can’t, your ears are probably the issue.
3. Why is everyone mumbling?
It seems like it’s no longer just the kids who are mumbling when they speak, it’s your neighbor, the news lady, your spouse, and even your bartender. If it seems like everyone in your life is mumbling, you’re probably dealing with hearing loss, because what is the probability of that? You’re not hearing words the same as you once did. One of the first indications that something is happening with your hearing is when it sounds like people are mumbling and consonants like “S” and “T” are dropping off.
4. What?
It may not be until somebody points out that you’re saying “what?” a lot that you realize you are developing hearing loss. Frequently the people you see on a daily basis like coworkers or family are the first to notice that you’re having a hard time hearing. You should certainly pay attention if somebody says something.
5. Why do I hear ringing sounds in my ears?
Okay, this isn’t really a subtle sign, but it is something people tend to ignore unless it’s distracting. A prevalent sign of hearing loss is a ringing in the ears, known as tinnitus.
Triggers are a substantial factor in tinnitus so it can be intermittent, too. For example, perhaps the ringing, buzzing, or roaring only happens in the morning or when you are tired. Or, it could also be an indication of high blood pressure, circulatory problems, or trauma.
If you’re noticing these symptoms you should schedule an appointment for an exam because they could be a sign that you’re having a health problem.
6. It’s not as fun going to the neighborhood get-together
It’s no fun when it sounds as if that many people are mumbling all at once. Also, being in loud settings makes understanding what people say that much harder. It becomes extremely difficult for you to hear anything when you’re in the presence of something as basic as the AC kicking in or children splashing and playing around the pool. And, you always feel fatigued from trying to keep up with conversations.
7. You’re usually not this fatigued
It’s laborious when you struggle to understand words. Your brain needs to work overtime to process what it can hear, so you are more fatigued than normal. Your other senses might even start to change. How much energy is left for eyesight, for instance, if your brain is using so much of its energy trying to hear and understand words? If your eyes have tested fine, now it’s time to get your ears checked.
8. Why can’t I hear this TV?
It’s easy to blame your old TV or the service provider when you have to keep cranking up the volume. It can be hard to follow the dialogue on your favorite shows when you have hearing loss. Dialogue is being jumbled by background music and sound effects. There are other things like the room AC or ceiling fan to cope with. Your hearing may be failing if you constantly turn up the volume.
The good thing is, if your hearing is declining, hearing aids can help, you just need to get a hearing test.
Contact us today to schedule an appointment for a hearing test if you’ve noticed any of the above signs.
