Your hearing won’t be just gone one day when you wake up. Hearing loss, particularly when it’s caused by aging, generally progresses in degrees. Some indicators appear earlier, though, and you don’t recognize there is a problem immediately.
These early developing symptoms advance very discreetly. Slowing down the progression of hearing loss and its related health challenges is a matter of early detection. However, you can’t recognize the signs if you don’t know what they are. Contemplate these eight barely detectable signs that you might have hearing loss.
1. You hear some people perfectly fine but not others
Perhaps you can hear the cashier perfectly, but when your wife chimes in on the conversation, everything gets muddled. It’s a common indication that the nerves that transmit messages to the brain are damaged (called sensorineural hearing loss).
Her voice is a higher pitch, and that’s why it’s unclear. You may 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, as well.
2. You avoid phone conversations
When the phone rings you are inclined to make excuses for not picking it up:
- I get tons of spam calls – that’s most likely what it is
- It’s a new phone, and I’m simply not used to it yet
Contemplate why you dislike talking on your phone. If you have the volume all the way up and can’t hear what is being said, let someone else test the phone for you. You probably have a hearing loss issue if you can’t hear the voice but your friend can.
3. Why is everybody mumbling?
It seems like it’s no longer just the kids who are mumbling when they talk, it’s your neighbor, the news lady, your partner, and even your bartender. It’s difficult to imagine that everyone in your life suddenly has poor enunciation so this is a good indication of hearing decline. How you hear words is changing. One of the first signs that something is going on with your hearing is when it sounds like people are mumbling and consonants like “S” and “T” are dropping off.
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. Very often the people you see every day like coworkers or family are the first to observe you are having a hard time hearing. You should definitely pay attention if somebody says something.
5. What’s that ringing in my ears?
Okay, this isn’t really a subtle indication, but it is something people tend to dismiss unless it’s disruptive. A prevalent sign of hearing loss is a ringing in the ears, known as tinnitus.
Triggers are an important factor in tinnitus so it can be intermittent, too. For instance, maybe 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.
If you’re noticing these symptoms you should schedule an appointment for an exam because they may be an indication that you’re having a health issue.
6. It’s not as enjoyable attending the neighborhood get-together
Once again, there are those people mumbling, and that’s not fun. It’s so much more difficult to make out what people are saying in loud places. Something as basic as youngsters playing and splashing around in the pool or the sound of the AC kicking on you makes it impossible to hear anything. And, you always feel exhausted from trying to focus in on conversations.
7. You’re normally not this fatigued
Struggling to understand words is exhausting. Your brain needs to work overtime to process what it can hear, so you are more fatigued than normal. Your other senses may even start to change. If your brain is using 110 percent of its time and energy to understand words, what’s left over for your eyesight or balance? If your last eye test was normal, then the next thing to get tested is your ears.
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 difficult to hear the dialogue on your favorite shows when you have hearing loss. The background music and sound effects are befuddling dialogue, for example. There are other things like the room AC or ceiling fan to deal with. If you keep cranking up the volume, then your hearing might be failing.
Luckily, if your hearing is failing, hearing aids can help, you just need to have your hearing tested.
Call us today to make an appointment for a hearing test if you’ve experienced any of the above signs.