Has your family been complaining that you can’t hear them? Maybe you’ve asked them to repeat themselves one too many times, and they’re starting to think you have hearing loss. Recognizing the signs of hearing loss will help you treat hearing loss as soon as possible so you can get back to hearing your loved ones. Just like any other health condition, the sooner you treat your hearing loss the better your health outcomes will be. Here are some of the most common signs of hearing loss.
Hearing in Background Noise
One of the earliest signs of hearing loss is struggling to hear when there’s background noise in the room. You might not have a problem hearing in your home, but as soon as you’re out with friends it gets much harder to follow conversations. That’s because hearing loss will affect your ability to separate speech sounds from all the background sounds. Your brain is trying to guess at all the sounds you can’t hear, and it becomes much harder to pick out the sound of the important conversation you’re trying to hear.
Hearing on the Phone
Another early sign of hearing loss is struggling to hear on the phone. Maybe you’ve been turning up the volume on the phone for the last few months, but finally you’ve maxed out the volume. Even with the volume on high, you have a hard time hearing what the person on the other end of the line is saying.
You Ask People to Repeat Themselves
Both in person and on the phone, you find yourself saying “what?” a lot more often than you’d like. Not only that, you have difficulty making sense of what others are saying. It often feels like your coworkers are mumbling, or that your family doesn’t speak clearly. Asking people to repeat themselves is a sign that your ears aren’t hearing clearly, and you have hearing loss.
You Misunderstand What People Say
Have you been mishearing what your family and friends are saying? Do you often say something only to be met with blank stares or laughter? You may not even notice that you misunderstood what was said, but the reaction let you know that you misheard the question and answered inappropriately. This is another early sign of hearing loss.
You Feel Frustrated
Hearing loss can be very frustrating. You get annoyed at yourself and the people around you when you have a hard time communicating. It feels as though your family is mumbling on purpose. Even when you ask them to repeat themselves you still can’t hear. It’s understandable that you feel frustrated, but remember that this is a sign of hearing loss.
You’re Tired All the Time
A clear sign of hearing loss is fatigue. When you’re constantly straining to hear what’s being said, you get very tired. You use a lot of energy guessing at what’s being said or filling in the blanks. Untreated hearing loss often causes mental and physical exhaustion. You may spend all your evenings on the couch and feel like you never have energy anymore.
Your Family Thinks You Have Hearing Loss
Did you know that your family will notice your hearing loss sooner than you will? They notice that you’re turning up the volume to uncomfortable levels, or that you’re asking them to repeat themselves. You might get used to the small changes in your hearing, but your family won’t. If your family thinks you have hearing loss, listen to them. Sometimes our families know us better than we know ourselves.
Next Steps
Do any of these signs of hearing loss sound familiar? People with normal hearing loss can have these experiences from time to time. But if these signs are a daily part of your life, you have hearing loss. If you recognize hearing loss either in yourself or a loved one, the next step is to schedule a hearing test.
We will test your hearing abilities and find out if you have mild or moderate hearing loss. Then find the perfect hearing aids. We have hearing solutions to match every hearing need and budget. Whether you need help hearing at work, at home, or when you’re out with friends, find the hearing devices that will make hearing easy. Contact us today to schedule an appointment!