Hearing loss is more common than many people realize. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), around 37.5 million aged 18 and over report some trouble hearing. The signs of hearing loss can often be subtle at first, but even mild hearing loss can have a significant impact on a person’s quality of life if left untreated. This article explores some of the signs of hearing loss that people may not realize indicate a problem.
Difficulty Hearing Conversations
One of the most common early signs of hearing loss is difficulty following conversations, especially in noisy environments. Background noise makes it harder for the brain to interpret speech sounds. People with mild hearing loss often say they can hear someone talking, but they struggle to understand the words. This is because they miss certain sounds that help differentiate words.
As hearing declines, people may accuse others of mumbling or not speaking clearly. In reality, they simply cannot pick up the high-frequency consonant sounds that give speech clarity. Hearing loss typically starts in the high-frequency range, which impacts sounds like “s”, “f”, “th”, and “h”. Missing these speech cues makes conversations frustrating and tiring.
Avoiding Social Situations
Someone in the early stages of hearing loss may start avoiding social situations where hearing is important. This includes parties, crowded restaurants, meetings, and other noisy places where hearing is key for interacting. The person realizes they cannot keep up with conversations as easily, so they withdraw to avoid feeling left out and confused.
This social isolation can negatively impact relationships and emotional health. The person misses out on connecting with others through everyday conversations. Loved ones may feel rejected when the individual continually turns down invitations. In reality, avoiding social situations is a coping mechanism for dealing with hearing difficulties.
Trouble on the Phone
Phones can present another hearing challenge. During calls, visual and context cues are missing. There are no facial expressions or body language to aid understanding like there are in person. Hearing loss causes people to struggle to make out what phone callers are saying.
They may frequently ask the caller to repeat themselves. To avoid this frustration, people with hearing loss often rely on their spouse or child to handle phone calls. Depending on others for phone communications can cause dependence and negatively affect self-confidence.
Increased Television Volume
If you or a loved one needs to turn the TV volume up higher than others, it may signify early hearing loss. The loss of high-frequency hearing makes television audio sound faint and muted. Turning up the volume helps compensate for the missing sound range.
But this increased volume can be bothersome or even dangerous for other family members. Extreme volumes can damage normal hearing over time. Also, if only one person needs the volume high, it indicates they need to address a potential hearing problem.
Hearing Difficulty in Background Noise
Hearing loss usually becomes noticeable when there is background noise present. Activities like conversation during a car ride or listening to the radio while cooking can suddenly become challenging. The competing background noise makes it extremely difficult to isolate the primary sounds the person wants to hear.
While everyone struggles to hear in noisy environments, people with hearing loss have greater difficulty filtering out the excess noise. Background noise has a major impact on listening fatigue. A hearing test can help determine how much difficulty one has hearing in noise compared to the average listener.
Frequently Missing Sounds Around You
People with hearing loss often miss various daily sounds around them. For instance, they may not hear a kitchen timer, phone ringing, or car horn honking. Missing these common environmental sounds can indicate there is a loss of sound detection.
Hearing loss makes people less aware of sounds in their surroundings. Increased difficulty detecting sounds can potentially lead to dangerous situations. It is critical to get a hearing evaluation if you fear you are missing more sounds than you should be.
Difficulty Localizing Sounds
As hearing ability declines, people also struggle to tell where sounds are coming from. This is called sound localization. The brain relies on tiny time and volume differences between each ear to pinpoint where sounds originate.
Hearing loss throws off these auditory signals, making sound localization confusing. For example, someone may hear a siren but be unable to tell if it is coming from the left, right, front, or back. This makes it difficult to respond appropriately to sounds.
Tinnitus Symptoms
Tinnitus involves ringing, buzzing, hissing, or roaring sensations in the ears. It often accompanies hearing loss and can seriously impact daily life. Tinnitus makes it harder to hear actual sounds you want to perceive. The unwanted noise also causes distraction, sleep disturbances, and increased stress. If you experience tinnitus symptoms, it is important to have a hearing evaluation.
Loved Ones Notice Your Hearing Challenges
Frequently, family members first notice signs of hearing loss in their loved one. They point out situations where they struggle to communicate or seem unaware of sounds. If friends and family comment on your potential hearing difficulties, their observations should not be dismissed.
The people you interact with frequently are in the best position to identify subtle hearing decline over time. Be prepared to discuss their observations openly with a hearing care professional. Getting a hearing assessment is important even if you do not notice the signs yourself.
Speech Development Issues in Children
In children, even mild hearing loss can negatively impact speech and language development. Without adequate auditory input, kids can experience speech delays and learning challenges. If a child regularly mispronounces words, needs instructions repeated, or watches faces intently, their hearing should be evaluated.
Catching and treating hearing loss early in life prevents developmental problems. Hearing tests are painless and critical for identifying any deficits. If your child exhibits possible signs, seek assessment from an audiologist. Treatment such as hearing aids can make a major positive difference.
Seeking Help for Hearing Loss
If you notice any signs of reduced hearing ability, schedule an appointment with a hearing healthcare professional. Audiologists can perform a battery of tests to evaluate your ability to detect sounds across frequency levels and listening environments. The results provide insight into the degree and type of hearing loss present.
Addressing hearing loss proactively is important for maintaining relationships and quality of life. Left untreated, hearing loss worsens over time as auditory nerves degenerate. Thankfully, excellent treatment options exist, like hearing aids and cochlear implants. These devices restore audibility and help prevent social isolation. Seeking help empowers you to handle hearing loss before it takes over your life.
Hearing loss develops gradually, so many of the initial signs are subtle. Issues following conversations, avoiding social situations, and turning up the TV are common early indicators. Seeking treatment at the first signs of trouble leads to the best outcomes. Hearing specialists can recommend appropriate devices like hearing aids to improve hearing clarity and minimize impact on your daily communication. Addressing hearing loss protects your connections and happiness.