Warning Signs Of Hearing Loss You Shouldn’t Ignore

Hearing loss can be tricky to notice in the very early stages; often, we don’t consider what we are experiencing to be true hearing loss. Unlike noise-induced hearing loss or hearing loss that happens due to trauma, regular hearing loss can creep up on you or your loved ones.

Hearing loss that happens in increments does have some indicators in the early stages, and if you feel like you are experiencing one or more of these, you should head to an audiologist as soon as possible for a chat and a hearing check-up.

Here are some of the identifiers of hearing loss that needs to be checked out by an audiologist.

Ringing in Your Ears

According to the CDC, over 50 million people in the US have some form of tinnitus. Although there can be many reasons for tinnitus, it is typically related to hearing loss. As one of the most common hearing complaints, and health conditions in the US, it becomes all too easy to ignore.

Noise-induced hearing loss and age-related hearing loss can cause tinnitus, although many people refer to it as ringing ears. For those who have tinnitus, it is not always referred to as ringing; it can be experienced in the following ways:

• Whooshing
• Ringing
• High pitched squeal
• Bussing
• Throbbing
• Music

Researchers believe that tinnitus occurs to replace or fill in the missing noises and frequencies that people would typically experience when going about their day.

Confusion in Crowds

One of the signs that hearing loss is happening is that it becomes more of a challenge to distinguish between noises in social settings and noisy environments. Things like parties where there is music and people talking can mean it is hard to keep track of a conversation. For people with hearing loss, it is common for them to start missing out on social occasions because it means they have to concentrate so much on their surroundings it can become exhausting.

Also, it can be embarrassing and frustrating to keep asking people to repeat themselves.

Everyday Sounds

If you used to enjoy the birds singing in the morning but haven’t heard them in a while – hearing loss could be the cause. Often we don’t notice we are missing those sounds until it happens. It’s not just the birds; it could be the telephone ringing or the beeping of the machines in the house to signal that they are finished. It could even be that you can no longer hear the light ticking of your blinkers on the car.

We often don’t notice that these noises are gone until someone points them out – because hearing loss can be so gradual. Most of these noises are considered high-frequency noises, which register at 2,000 or higher – these are the frequencies that most people with hearing loss will miss out on. It can also include the voices of children.

Listening Fatigue

Perhaps you feel inexplicably tired after you have been in company for a while or in a long work meeting. This can be listening to fatigue. Listening is when you have to concentrate particularly hard for most of the day to keep on top of the conversations and other things happening around you. Hearing is a brain activity, and when your auditory system is compromised with hearing loss, your brain needs to put in more effort to listen – and fill in any gaps

When the signal between the inner ear isn’t working, your brain must use everything to fill the gaps. If you find yourself very tired after social situations, and you find yourself taking more cues from how the mouth moves on the person you are talking to, this can indicate hearing loss.

Throw or Show

High-frequency hearing loss, which happens gradually, will lose the ability to differentiate between consonants. Consonants are usually in the higher-frequency range. Sounds that are most likely to cause a problem include: Sh, V, K, Th, F and S. These sounds can be very similar, and when they aren’t being heard correctly can cause important parts of conversations to be missing.

Schedule an Appointment with an Audiologist

If you or your loved ones have experienced any of the above, one or all of them, then it is important you make an appointment so that your hearing can be tested. Hearing loss usually has a cause, so it is essential to find the cause. Your audiologist will be able to talk you through all of your options and begin to monitor your hearing loss. Book an appointment to chat about your hearing with the team at Quality Hearing & Audiology Center by calling (816) 205-7220.