Hearing loss can be a scary thing to face, but it’s also a very common problem. Because people tend to lose their hearing gradually, not everyone realizes there’s even a problem. Avoiding the audiologist will never get anyone his or her hearing back, though. The only way to improve the situation is to seek help. Read on to find out about some of the most common signs it’s time to schedule a hearing test with an audiologist.
People Are Complaining About the Volume of the TV
One of the signs of hearing loss is needing to turn the sound up on the television or needing assistive listening devices to make out what people are saying at a reasonable volume. Living with others typically means sharing the television, so pay attention to what family members are doing and saying.
If people are complaining about the volume of the TV or turning it back down every time it gets turned up, think about seeing an audiologist. In this case, doing so can resolve both hearing problems and the interpersonal issues that come along with them.
Difficulty Understanding Speech
Everyone misses a word here and there or has to ask friends to repeat what they’re saying once in a while. If this becomes a common theme, though, hearing loss may be to blame. The issue will be most noticeable if there’s noise in the background. Most people with hearing loss also report more difficulty understanding consonants than vowels.
Missing Calls or Alarms
In some cases, hearing loss manifests itself as a failure to recognize only certain pitches or tones. Missing phone calls, failing to notice alarms, or not knowing when people are ringing the doorbell are three of the most common forms of this problem. In all three cases, hearing loss is usually to blame.
Conversations Become Exhausting
Many people with hearing loss fail to recognize when they have to strain to hear people properly. They may compensate by lip-reading, moving closer to people, or increasing the focus on the person speaking, all of which can create feelings of fatigue over time. Of course, hearing loss is far from the only explanation for fatigue. If it’s coupled with any of the other common problems on this list, though, it should be considered a warning that it’s time to visit the audiologist.
Constant Ringing in the Ears
A constant ringing in the ears, known medically as tinnitus, can be an early warning sign of hearing loss. Almost half of all seniors who report hearing loss also experience tinnitus, and both produce similar symptoms. As with fatigue, tinnitus can also have other causes. Most notably, it’s a common side effect of many medications. If it occurs alongside difficulty with conversation or missed phone calls, though, the chances are good that hearing loss is the underlying cause.
Schedule a Hearing Test
There’s only one way to find out for sure if someone is suffering from hearing loss. Schedule an appointment with an audiologist to have a hearing test performed. Once the level of a person’s hearing loss has been established, this same doctor can recommend appropriate solutions.
