Your hearing won’t be simply gone one day when you wake up. Hearing loss, particularly when it’s related to aging, usually progresses in degrees. You may not realize it’s happening immediately but some indicators do appear earlier.
The initial symptoms of progressive hearing loss are discrete. Slowing down the development of hearing loss and its associated health challenges 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 identify any of the following eight barely noticeable signs.
1. Certain voices you can’t hear very well, others you can
Maybe when you talk to your brother, you can hear him fine, but when your wife talks, some words just seem to get lost. It’s a typical indication of sensorineural hearing loss or damage to the nerves that send electrical signals to the brain.
Her voice is less clear to you because the pitch is higher. You might have the same problem with your grandchild or daughter. Even higher pitched tones like the phone ringing or alarm clock can get lost. Those are also high pitched tones.
2. You avoid phone conversations
It’s easy to make excuses for why you don’t answer the phone when it rings:
- It’s likely just spam
- I’m just not used to this brand new phone yet
You dread talking on the phone, but why? 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 can hear the conversation and you can’t, your ears are likely the issue.
3. Why does everyone mumble these days?
It seems as if 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. It’s hard to imagine that everyone in your life suddenly has poor enunciation so this is a strong indication of hearing loss. 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 dropping off.
4. You’re saying “what?” a lot
You might not even recognize that you can’t hear conversations anymore until somebody points out that you’re saying “What?” during conversations a lot. Frequently the people you see on a daily basis like coworkers or family are the first to notice that you’re struggling to hear. You should definitely pay attention if somebody says something.
5. Why do I hear ringing noises in my ears?
This sign is somewhat more obvious, but unless it becomes a distraction, people tend to ignore it. Tinnitus, the medical term for the ringing or buzzing in the ear, is a prevalent symptom of hearing loss.
Triggers are an important factor in tinnitus so it can be intermittent, too. Maybe, when you first wake up in the morning is when you have the most pronounced ringing or buzzing. Or a trauma, circulatory problems, or high blood pressure might be the cause.
It’s essential that you don’t ignore these tinnitus symptoms because it’s a sign that something may be wrong, so you should schedule an appointment as soon as possible to get checked out.
6. Meeting your friends at the neighborhood BBQ isn’t as enjoyable
It’s no fun when it sounds like that many individuals are mumbling at the same time. It’s so much more difficult to understand what people are saying in loud settings. Something as simple as kids playing and splashing around in the pool or the sound of the AC coming on you makes it impossible to hear anything. And, you always feel exhausted from trying to keep up with conversations.
7. You feel more tired than normal
It’s laborious when you struggle to understand words. Your brain needs to work harder to process what it does hear, so you are more tired than usual. Your other senses might even begin to change. If your brain is utilizing 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 good, then the next thing to get tested is your ears.
8. Why is this TV volume so low?
It’s easy to blame your old TV or the service provider when you need to keep cranking up the volume. It can be difficult to follow the dialogue on your favorite shows when you’re dealing with hearing loss. The background music and sound effects are befuddling dialogue, for example. What about the other things in the room like the AC or the ceiling fan? If you keep cranking up the volume, then your hearing might be failing.
The good thing is, if your hearing is failing, hearing aids can help, you just need to get a hearing test.
Give us a call today to make an appointment for a hearing test if you’ve detected any of the above signs.
