Bananas don’t taste like they once did. There are extremely different varieties of bananas being grown these days by banana farmers. These new bananas sprout faster, are more resilient, and can thrive in a wider range of climates. They don’t taste the same either. So why haven’t you detected the great banana swap? Well, the truth is that it happened slowly, through the years. The change was so gradual you never noticed.
Hearing loss can happen in the same way. It isn’t like suddenly your hearing is entirely gone. In most cases of hearing loss, it goes undetected because it advances so slowly.
Early treatment can really help preserve your hearing so that’s a regrettable truth. You can take measures to safeguard your hearing if you recognize that it’s at risk. So it’s a good plan to be on the lookout for these seven signs of diminishing hearing.
7 indications you should get a hearing assessment
Hearing loss occurs slowly and over time, but it isn’t always well grasped. It isn’t like you’ll go to a loud rock concert and the next day find yourself entirely unable to hear. Repetitive exposure to loud noise over a long period of time gradually leads to noticeable hearing loss. The earlier you treat your hearing loss, the better off you’ll be. Untreated hearing loss has been connected to an increased risk of issues like dementia, social solitude, and depression, so it’s not something you should mess around with.
You should, uh, watch out for these seven signs that you may be experiencing hearing loss. The only way to know for certain is to get a hearing assessment, but these indicators may encourage you to schedule an appointment earlier than you otherwise would have.
Sign #1: You keep turning up the volume on your devices
Are you constantly turning up the volume on your devices? Sure, maybe it’s just that all of your favorite actors and artists have begun to mumble, or that the audio mixing on TV shows is dramatically different than it was before. But it’s more likely that you’re compensating for your increasing hearing loss by cranking the volume up on your devices.
This is particularly the case if your family has also constantly been telling you that the TV is too loud. They can often spot hearing issues in you faster than you can.
Sign #2: You failed to hear your phone ringing (or the doorbell)
If you’re regularly missing some day to day sounds, that might be an indication of issues with your ears. Some of the most ordinary sounds you may miss include:
- Somebody knocking on your door or ringing your doorbell: You thought your friend unexpectedly walked into your house but you in fact missed him knocking.
- Alarms and timers: Did you sleep through your alarm clock? Did the dinner get burned? It might not be because your cook timer or alarm clock is too quiet.
- Your phone: Are you failing to get text messages? Nobody calls anymore, so you’re more likely to miss a text message than a call.
You’re missing important sounds while driving, like honking horns or trucks beeping while backing up, and your family and friends are becoming afraid to drive with you.
Sign #3: You’re always asking people to repeat themselves
Is “What?” or “Pardon?” your most frequently used words? If you’re constantly asking people to repeat what they said, it’s very, very possible it isn’t because of them, it’s because of you (and your hearing). This is especially true if people do repeat themselves and you still don’t hear what they’re saying. Most likely, time to get a hearing exam.
Sign #4: Is everybody starting to mumble?
You could also call this sign #3-A, since they go pretty well together. If it sounds as if everyone around you is continuously mumbling or saying something under their breath, the reality is… well, they probably aren’t. That might be a comfort (it’s no fun to be surrounded by people who you think are mumbling things about you). Instead, it’s more likely that you’re just having a difficult time hearing what they’re saying.
This can be especially noticeable if you’re attempting to listen to somebody who has a higher pitched voice, or if you have to have a conversation in a loud space, like a restaurant.
Sign #5: Family members prompt you to take a hearing exam (or invest in hearing aids)
You most likely have a rather close relationship with your family and friends. It’s likely that at least some of them have fairly healthy hearing. It’s a smart plan to listen to your family members (particularly the younger ones) if they are telling you something is going on with your hearing.
It’s easy to understand that you would want to rationalize away this advice. Perhaps you tell yourself it was just a bad day or whatever. But you could do your hearing a favor by taking their advice.
Sign #6: You hear ringing in your ears (or experience vertigo)
Ringing in your ears is a condition known as tinnitus. It’s really common. When you have hearing loss, your tinnitus can become extreme for a couple of reasons:
- Both can be caused by damage: Damage causes both tinnitus and hearing loss. So the more damaged your hearing system is, the more likely you are to suffer from both hearing loss and tinnitus.
- Hearing loss can make tinnitus more noticeable: In your typical day-to-day life, tinnitus can be overwhelmed by the everyday noises you experience. But as hearing loss makes those background sounds quieter, tinnitus symptoms come to the front.
Either way, if you’re going through loud ringing, or even dizziness and vertigo, it could be an indication that something is happening in your ears. This means it’s time to come see us for a hearing test.
Sign #7: Socializing leaves you feeling exhausted
Maybe you’ve always been an introvert at heart, and that’s why social settings have grown totally draining. Or perhaps, and just hear us out here (again with the puns), your hearing isn’t what it once was.
When you leave a restaurant or a social affair feeling completely drained, your hearing (or lack thereof) may be the cause. Your brain is attempting to fill in the gaps that you can’t hear. This is fatiguing (no matter how good your brain is), particularly over the long run. So you may experience even more exhaustion when you’re in an especially noisy setting.
Begin by coming to see us
Honestly, hearing damage is common to everybody to some degree. If or when you develop hearing loss has a lot to do with how well you safeguard your ears when you’re exposed to loud noise.
So it might be an indication that the banana is changing if you encounter any of these signs. Thankfully, there’s something you can do about it: come in and get tested! You’ll be able to get treatment as soon as you get diagnosed.
