Hearing loss can happen gradually, usually with age, but anyone can experience it. The signs of hearing loss are important to be mindful of.
5 Indications of Hearing Loss to Pay Attention To
As mentioned, hearing loss is a common accompaniment to the aging process. Aging is not a prerequisite to hearing loss, however one in three people over the age of 60 experience hearing loss, and one in two people over the age of 85 have hearing loss. Hearing loss usually worsens over time, so it is important to have it diagnosed when it is first noticed.
Some signs of hearing loss are obvious, but others may not be. If any of the five key signs of hearing loss seem familiar to you, making an appointment with a hearing care professional, like an audiologist, should be on your to-do list. The five key signs to hearing loss include:
- Trouble Understanding Conversation in Noisy Places: While background noise can somewhat impact the way a person with excellent hearing perceives sounds, those with hearing loss are greatly affected by noisy environments. This may be due to a central auditory processing disorder (CAPD) that involves the auditory pathways that carry information from the ear to the brain.
The auditory pathway in someone with CAPD may weaken with age causing difficulty hearing in noisy environments, however a damaged connection between the inner ear and hearing nerve can also be to blame for straining to hear in loud environments. The best way to know why this is happening is to have your hearing checked.
- Mental Fatigue from Conversations or After Social Events: Not being able to hear sounds of speech forces your brain to work harder in order to make sense of what others are saying to you. This can be exhausting when conversing with one person let alone attending a party where a number of different people are talking to you at the same time. Listening fatigue is the term used to describe this type of exhaustion.
Seeing an audiologist and possibly being fitted with hearing aids can greatly cut down on listening fatigue.
- Need to Watch People’s Faces to Understand What They Are Saying: Many people who suffer from hearing loss avoid eye contact and focus on the other person’s mouth when having a conversation. Certain sounds like “f” or “th” can be distinguished from the shape the mouth makes when saying them. For this reason, people who are having a hard time hearing shift their attention to the mouth of the person they are speaking with.
If you catch yourself avoiding eye contact and trying to read someone’s lips during a conversation, it’s probably time to have your hearing examined.
- The Volume on the TV Keeps Inching Up: Depending on your level of hearing loss, certain frequencies can be hard to hear. With so many different sounds and frequencies in TV shows–music, sound effects, and dialogue–it’s not a surprise that those with hearing loss tend to increase the volume in order to hear what the characters are saying. If other people in your household are complaining about the TV being so loud, it may be a clue to have your hearing assessed by an audiologist.
- Thinking Everyone Around You is Mumbling: Aging affects the cochlea in the inner ear making it difficult to detect high-pitched sounds, therefore anyone with a high-pitched voice will be difficult to understand. Many times the sounds that people with high-pitched voices (especially children and women) are making come across as mumbling. If you’re hearing sounds but not understanding what someone is saying, it’s time to have your hearing tested.
One other major sign of hearing loss that spans all of these key indicators is avoiding social situations. If you find yourself not wanting to leave the house because you can’t hear what people are saying, it’s time to pay attention to your hearing loss. People with untreated hearing loss are more likely to feel isolated, become depressed, and suffer from memory problems later on.
Make That Hearing Test Appointment
Many people are hesitant to have their hearing checked because of the stigma of hearing loss–that it’s something “old people” have. While it is true that aging affects hearing, it’s not always the case. A young person can suffer hearing loss as well. Whether you are in the 50+ age bracket, or under 30, if you’re experiencing hearing loss, or any of the 5 indicators listed above, you need to make an appointment for a hearing assessment with an audiologist.
The team of professionals at Hearing Solution Centers is ready to help you! With the latest technology as well as a commitment to getting to know you and your lifestyle, Hearing Solution Centers can provide the best solutions to your hearing problems.
Reach out to Hearing Solution Centers to make your hearing test appointment today!