The signs of hearing loss vary depending on the kind and severity of your hearing loss. An individual with substantial hearing loss in only one ear perceives sound differently than a person with hearing loss in both ears.
Hearing loss is a cunning thief. It can sneak up on you slowly, losing your hearing in such modest increments that you find yourself straining to comprehend conversations and missing out on conversations. Signs of hearing loss may come suddenly or gradually which is why you should always be aware of any changes in your hearing.
Only an audiologist or hearing health practitioner can diagnose hearing loss, but below are the top five indicators that your hearing may be faltering:
1. Ringing in the ears
Tinnitus is one of the most frequent health disorders in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), affecting more than 50 million individuals.
Tinnitus, often known as ringing in the ears, can be caused by both age-related and noise-induced hearing loss. Tinnitus, experts believe, may actually be the brain’s method of compensating for missing frequencies from the auditory system in these two cases. Experiencing ringing in the ears is a red flag for your auditory system and you should see an audiologist as soon as possible.
2. Mishearing consonants
You may have lost your capacity to hear high-frequency noises if you’ve lived long enough to acquire presbycusis, otherwise known as age-related hearing loss. If you have a hard time distinguishing between the letters F, S, Th, V, Sh, K, and P in speech, you might have a hearing problem.
As a consequence, you may misinterpret key sections of the dialogue and behave incorrectly, or you may assume that the person talking to you is muttering or mumbling. To put it another way, you may hear but not comprehend. Mishearing words or consonants is one of the most common signs of hearing loss that you should not ignore.
3. Listening fatigue
Listening fatigue might occur if you find yourself straining to hear the discussion and feeling more weary than usual. Or if you are having difficulties following conversations, it may sound like fading radio signals or a weak phone connection.
Hearing is a crucial brain function, of which most people are unaware. When your auditory system is impaired, your brain has to work much harder to comprehend the sound it receives.
4. High-pitched sounds go unnoticed
Pause for a while and take time to ponder – when was the last time you heard crickets chirp or birds tweet? Can you still hear your car’s signal when it blinks? Do you have a hard time hearing little kids or women?
If you answered “yes” to the last question, you may have high-frequency hearing loss. This is a type of hearing loss that involves difficulty in hearing frequencies of 2,000 Hz or higher. Shrill or high-pitched tones are difficult to hear with this type of hearing loss.
5. Difficulty hearing in crowded places
The inability to identify speech in loud situations is another indication of high-frequency hearing loss. As a result, you may avoid social settings such as family gatherings or spontaneous gatherings with friends where you are compelled to concentrate on comprehending simultaneous conversations.
General signs of hearing loss
The scenarios below may all be significant indicators that you may be experiencing early signs of hearing loss:
- Friends and relatives complain that you play the radio or TV too loudly
- You have difficulty understanding speech, especially in busy surroundings
- You have trouble hearing conversations on the phone
- A sense of hearing but not understanding where sound is originating from
- You frequently ask individuals to repeat themselves
- You rely on someone to assist you with hearing
- You tend to avoid social situations
- You have hearing fatigue after attending social events
- You are experiencing tinnitus
- Some noises, known as “recruitment,” appear to be overly loud
Audiologists in Norfolk, NE
Experiencing signs of hearing loss? Seek professional help as soon as you can.
Connect with the people, activities, and things you love through better hearing. Your journey to improved hearing starts with a hearing test.
Norfolk Audiology provides comprehensive hearing tests and excellent audiology care in Norfolk, NE, and nearby locations.
Contact us today to schedule a consultation!