Your hearing won’t be simply gone one day when you wake up. For most people, hearing loss happens in degrees, particularly when it is related to the aging process. You may not detect it’s happening immediately but some signs do show up earlier.
These early developing symptoms progress very discreetly. Delaying the development of hearing loss and its related health challenges is a matter of early detection. But if you are unaware of what the early symptoms are, you won’t be able to recognize if you have them. You may be developing hearing loss if you identify any of the following eight barely noticeable indicators.
1. You hear some people just fine but not others
Maybe you can understand the cashier perfectly, but when your wife joins the conversation, everything gets messed up. It’s a common indication that the nerves that send messages to the brain are damaged (called sensorineural hearing loss).
Her voice is a higher pitch, and that’s why it isn’t as clear. 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 throw a loop into things. Those tones are high, too.
2. You don’t like to talk on the phone
It’s easy to make excuses for why you don’t pick up the phone when it rings:
- It’s likely just spam
- It’s a brand new phone, and I’m simply not used to it yet
You hate talking on the phone, but why? If you have the volume all the way up and can’t understand what is being said, let someone else test the phone for you. You probably have a hearing loss problem if you can’t hear the voice but your friend can.
3. Why does everyone mumble these days?
It seems like it’s no longer only the kids who are mumbling when they talk, it’s your neighbor, the news woman, your spouse, and even your bartender. If it seems as if everyone in your life is mumbling, you’re probably dealing with hearing loss, because what is the probability of that? The way you hear words is changing. One of the first indications that something is happening with your hearing is when it sounds like people are mumbling and consonants like “S” and “T” are dropping off.
4. What?
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. Often, the first people to detect you are developing hearing loss are the people you see every day, like family and coworkers. You should definitely pay attention if someone says something.
5. What’s that ringing in my ears?
Okay, this isn’t really a subtle sign, but it is something people tend to dismiss unless it’s disruptive. Tinnitus, the medical name for the ringing or buzzing in the ear, is a common symptom of hearing loss.
Triggers are a significant factor in tinnitus so it can be intermittent, too. Perhaps, when you first get up in the morning is when you have the most significant ringing or buzzing. Or a trauma, circulatory problems, or high blood pressure could be the cause.
It’s essential that you don’t disregard these tinnitus symptoms because it’s a sign that something might be wrong, so you should make an appointment right away to get an exam.
6. It’s not as enjoyable going to the neighborhood get-together
Again, there are those people mumbling, and that’s not fun. It’s so much more difficult to understand what people are saying in loud settings. It becomes impossible for you to hear anything when you’re around something as simple as the AC turning on or youngsters splashing and playing in the pool. And, you always feel exhausted from trying to focus in on conversations.
7. You’re usually not this fatigued
Battling to understand words is draining. You feel more fatigued than normal because your brain has to work harder to try and interpret what it’s trying to hear. You might even experience differences in your other senses. 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 exam was good, then the next thing to get tested is your ears.
8. Why is this TV volume so low?
When you have to keep turning the volume on your TV up, it becomes all too easy to place the blame on your service provider or that old TV. When you have hearing loss it’s difficult to follow along with dialog on your favorite shows. The background music and sound effects are confusing dialogue, for example. There are other things such as the room AC or ceiling fan to deal with. If you keep cranking the volume up, then your hearing may be failing.
Luckily, if your hearing is failing, hearing aids can help, you just need to get a hearing test.
Contact us today to schedule an appointment for a hearing test if you’ve noticed any of the above signs.