The last time you had dinner with your family was a hard experience. It wasn’t because your family was having a hard time getting along. No, the source of the difficulty was simple: it was loud, and you couldn’t hear a thing. So you didn’t hear the details about Judy’s promotion, and you didn’t have a chance to ask about Jay’s new puppy. The whole experience was extremely aggravating. Mostly, you blame the acoustics. But you’re also willing to admit that your hearing may be starting to go.
It isn’t generally recommended to try to self diagnose hearing loss because it generally isn’t possible. But there are a few early warning signs you should keep your eye on. When enough of these red flags spring up, it’s worth scheduling an appointment to get checked by a hearing professional.
Early Signs of Hearing Loss
Not every sign and symptom of hearing loss is evident. But you might be experiencing some level of hearing loss if you find yourself detecting some of these signs.
Here are a few of the warning signs of hearing loss:
- You have a tough time making out interactions in a crowded or noisy place. This is precisely what happened during the “family dinner” illustration above, and it’s typically an early sign of trouble with hearing.
High pitched sounds are hard to hear. Perhaps you find your tea kettle has been whistling for five minutes without your knowledge. Or maybe the doorbell rings, and you never detect it. Specific frequencies (often high pitched) will usually be the first to go with early hearing loss.
Someone makes you aware that you keep turning up the volume on your media. Maybe you keep turning up the volume on your mobile device. Or maybe your TV speakers are maxed out. In most cases, you’re not the one that observes the loud volume, it’s your kids, maybe your neighbor, or your friends.
Certain sounds seem so loud that they’re unbearable. It’s one of the more uncommon early warning signs associated with hearing loss, but hyperacusis is common enough that you may find yourself encountering its symptoms. It can be an early sign of hearing loss if certain sounds seem really loud especially if it lasts for an extended period of time.
You frequently need people to repeat what they said. This is particularly true if you’re asking several people to slow down, repeat what they said, or talk louder. You may not even realize you’re making such regular requests, but it can definitely be an early sign of diminishing hearing.
You find it’s tough to understand certain words. This red flag often appears because consonants are beginning to sound similar, or, at least, becoming difficult to differentiate. The th- and sh- sounds are very commonly muffled. Sometimes, it’s the s- and f-sounds or p- and t-sounds that become conflated.
You hear some that your ears are ringing: This ringing, which can also be the sound of thumping, screeching, buzzing, or other sounds, is technically known as tinnitus. Tinnitus is frequently an early warning sign of hearing loss, but not always so if your ears are ringing, a hearing test is most likely in order.
Phone calls suddenly seem muffled and hard to comprehend: These days, due to texting, we use the phone a lot less than we once did. But if you have the volume turned all the way up on your phone and you’re still having trouble hearing calls, it’s most likely an early warning of hearing loss.
It’s Time to Get a Hearing Exam
Regardless of how many of these early warning signs you may experience, there’s really only one way to recognize, with certainty, whether your hearing is going bad: get a hearing test.
In general, even one of these early warning signs could be evidence that you’re developing some type of hearing loss. A hearing examination will be able to tell what level of impairment, if any, is present. And then you’ll be better prepared to get the proper treatment.
This means your next family get together can be much more enjoyable.
The site information is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. To receive personalized advice or treatment,
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