There are a number of common warning signs which may signal that you’re suffering from some sort of hearing loss and should seek a hearing test from an Audiologist.
You avoid group conversations
People who are suffering from hearing loss often find it difficult to distinguish speech with heavy background noise which is common in noisy cafes, restaurants or work environments. If you find yourself constantly straining to follow a conversation or to understand what someone is saying when there is background noise you most likely are suffering from some sort of hearing loss. You may also find yourself missing what people say and constantly asking “what?”. While it’s common for people to just think that other people aren’t speaking clearly, its more often than not a sign you’re suffering from hearing loss.
Modern hearing aids have become incredibly sophisticated in distinguishing between background noise and speech and use directional microphones to focus on who you’re speaking with and to lower the background noise.
You are unable to hear your friends and family
If you have difficulty hearing high frequencies, which is most commonly experienced in having difficulty hearing the voices of women, children and certain consonant letters such as S, F and H you may be suffering from something called high frequency hearing loss. You may also notice yourself missing certain sounds such as the doorbell or the microwave or hearing a voice through a telephone.
This style of hearing loss is becoming more common in younger people due to excessive exposure to noise from portable music players.
Traditionally it was difficult to treat high frequency hearing loss with hearing aids, but recent advances mean that digital hearing aids can be programmed for a wide variety of hearing loss, including high frequency.
You keep turning your volume up louder
You may find your spouse, family member or even your neighbour complaining that the volume of your TV is too loud. You may also find it difficult to understand telephone conversations even after turning the volume to the max. If any of these seem familiar it’s time to get a hearing test to determine whether you’re suffering from hearing loss as they are a common warning sign.
Modern hearing devices available from Hearing Choices can stream audio from a television or phone to your hearing aids, giving you the ability to adjust the volume and hear better without disturbing other people in the room. If your hearing aids are “Made for iPhone” you can do it directly without the need for any accessories or other devices.
These are just some of the symptoms of hearing loss. If you find yourself experiencing any of these or just suspect that you’re suffering from hearing loss the earlier you take action the better.
Newsletter
