Your hearing won’t be simply gone one day when you wake up. For most individuals, hearing loss comes in degrees, especially when it is associated with the aging process. You might not recognize it’s happening immediately but some indicators do show up earlier.
These initially developing symptoms progress very subtly. Recognizing them sooner is essential to slow down the development of hearing loss or other health issues related to aging. However, you can’t recognize the signs if you have no clue what they are. Consider these eight barely noticeable signs that you may have hearing loss.
1. You hear some people just fine but not others
Perhaps you can understand the cashier perfectly, but when your wife chimes in on the conversation, everything gets muddled. It’s a typical indication of sensorineural hearing loss or damage to the nerves that send electrical messages to the brain.
Her voice is less clear to you because the pitch is higher. You may not be capable of hearing your daughter or grandchild very well for the same reason. Even higher pitched tones such as the phone ringing or alarm clock can get lost. Those are also high pitched tones.
2. You don’t like to talk on the phone
It’s easy to make excuses for why you don’t answer the phone when it rings:
- I’m just not used to this brand new phone yet
- It’s most likely just spam
You dread talking on the phone, but why? If you have the volume all the way up and can’t understand what is being said, let a friend test the phone for you. If they can hear the conversation and you can’t, your ears are probably the issue.
3. Why does everyone mumble these days?
It seems as if it’s no longer only the kids who are mumbling when they talk, it’s your neighbor, the news lady, your partner, and even your bartender. It’s difficult to imagine that everybody in your life suddenly has poor enunciation so this is a strong indication of hearing loss. How you hear words is changing. Mumbling or dropped off consonants like “S” or “T” is one of the first indications that your hearing is going through changes.
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. Frequently the people you see every day like coworkers or family are the first to observe you are having a hard time hearing. You should certainly pay attention if someone says something.
5. What’s that ringing in my ears?
Okay, this isn’t exactly a subtle indication, but it is something people tend to ignore unless it’s disruptive. A common sign of hearing loss is a ringing in the ears, medically called tinnitus.
Tinnitus can also be intermittent because triggers are a significant factor. Maybe, when you first get up in the morning is when you have the most pronounced ringing or buzzing. Or a trauma, circulatory problems, or high blood pressure could be the cause.
If you’re noticing these symptoms you should make an appointment for an exam because they may be an indication that you’re having a health problem.
6. Joining your friends at the neighborhood barbecue isn’t as enjoyable
Again, there are those mumbling people, and that’s not fun. It’s so much more difficult to make out what people are saying in loud settings. Something as simple as children playing and splashing around in the pool or the sound of the AC kicking on you makes it extremely tough to hear anything. And, you always feel exhausted from trying to focus in on conversations.
7. You feel more tired than usual
Battling to understand words is exhausting. Your brain has to work overtime to process what it does hear, so you are more fatigued than normal. You may even experience differences in your other senses. How much energy is left for eyesight, for instance, if your brain is using 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 is this TV volume so low?
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. When you’re experiencing hearing loss it’s difficult to hear 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 cope with. Your hearing may be failing if you constantly turn the volume up.
Fortunately, all it takes to know for certain is a professional hearing exam and if you find out your hearing is failing, hearing aids will help you get back to normal.
Call us today to schedule an appointment for a hearing assessment if you’ve experienced any of the above signs.