Your hearing won’t be simply gone one day when you wake up. Hearing loss, particularly when it’s related to aging, typically progresses in degrees. Some indicators appear earlier, though, and you don’t detect there is an issue right away.
The early symptoms of progressive hearing loss are subtle. Slowing down 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 don’t know what they are. You might be developing hearing loss if you notice any of the following eight barely noticeable indicators.
1. You hear some people perfectly fine but not others
Maybe when you talk with your brother, you can understand him fine, but when your wife speaks, some words just seem to get lost. It’s a typical indication that the nerves that send signals to the brain are damaged (called sensorineural hearing loss).
Her voice is not as clear to you because it’s higher in pitch. You might not be able to hear your daughter or grandchild very well for the same reason. Even technology like the microwave or an alarm can become a problem. Those are also high pitched tones.
2. You avoid phone conversations
It’s easy to make excuses for why you don’t pick up the phone when it rings:
- It’s probably just spam
- It’s a brand new phone, and I’m just not used to it yet
You hate talking on the phone, but why? It will be a good idea to get someone else to check the phone for you if the volume is all the way up and you still can’t hear what the other person is saying. You probably have a hearing loss problem if you can’t hear the voice but your friend can.
3. Why is everyone 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 spouse, and even your bartender. If it seems as if everybody in your life is mumbling, you’re most likely dealing with hearing loss, because what is the probability of that? How you hear words is changing. One of the first indications that something is going on with your hearing is when it sounds like people are mumbling and consonants like “S” and “T” are getting lost.
4. What?
It might not be until somebody points out that you’re saying “what?” a lot that you recognize you are developing hearing loss. Very often the people you see every day like coworkers or family are the first to observe that you’re having a hard time hearing. You should certainly pay attention if somebody says something.
5. What’s that ringing in my ears?
This sign is somewhat more obvious, but unless it becomes a disruption, people tend to ignore it. A common sign of hearing loss is a ringing in the ears, medically called tinnitus.
Tinnitus can also be periodic because triggers are a significant factor. Perhaps, when you first wake up in the morning is when you have the most pronounced ringing or buzzing. Or, it could also be an indication of high blood pressure, circulatory problems, or trauma.
If you’re noticing these symptoms you should make an appointment for an exam because they may be a sign that you’re having a health issue.
6. Joining your friends at the neighborhood BBQ isn’t as enjoyable
Once again, there are those mumbling people, and that’s not fun. It’s so much harder to understand what people are saying in loud places. It becomes impossible for you to hear anything when you’re around something as basic as the AC turning on or children splashing and playing around the pool. And trying to focus in on conversations is tedious.
7. You feel more fatigued than normal
It’s laborious when you struggle to understand words. You feel more tired than usual because your brain has to work harder to try and interpret what it’s attempting to hear. You may even notice differences in your other senses. How much energy is left over for eyesight, for instance, if your brain is spending so much of its energy trying to hear and understand words? If your eyes have tested fine, now it’s time to have your hearing checked.
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 place the blame on your service provider or that old TV. It can be difficult to hear the dialogue on your favorite shows when you have hearing loss. The background music and sound effects are confusing dialogue, for example. How about the other stuff in the room such as the AC or the ceiling fan? If you keep turning up the volume, then your hearing could be failing.
Luckily, if your hearing is failing, hearing aids can help, you just need to have your hearing tested.
If you experience any of the above signs of hearing loss, contact us today to make an appointment.