Hearing loss can be brought on by many things and is generally very frustrating. Even though hearing loss is commonly the result of age or an injury, in some situations, hearing loss may be a symptom of a more severe underlying medical issue.
Look out for these hearing loss red flags
There are varieties of red flags that might be a sign of hearing loss and that it’s time to schedule a hearing assessment appointment. Here are some of those red flags that should make you take notice.
Having trouble hearing phone calls
You may be having a hard time hearing phone calls even with the volume setting. If you are continually turning the volume up louder and louder on your cell phone or landline, you need to schedule an appointment as soon as possible for a hearing assessment.
Difficulty making out conversations
At times, we get lost when we’re having conversations even when our hearing is healthy, but if it happens often, particularly when more than two people are talking, it’s most likely a sign of hearing loss.
People around you are complaining about the increasing volume of your TV
Following along with tv shows, particularly when there’s music and dialog, can be a challenge. It’s important to understand that cranking the television up louder doesn’t always make the sound clearer. But it’s time to get your hearing examined if your neighbors can hear your TV or if you continuously need the volume on a very high setting.
Difficulty hearing in noisy environments
If you are in a public place and the background noise makes it hard to hear the others with you, it generally means you struggle to mask background noise and focus on speech. This is one of the most common complaints of people who are developing hearing loss.
You keep asking people what they said
If somebody is mumbling a few feet from you and you can’t hear them, that doesn’t necessarily indicate you have hearing loss. However, it may be a red flag that you aren’t receiving and processing speech correctly if the word “what” is the most used word in your vocabulary.
Failing to understand what people are saying
It can be a sign of high frequency hearing loss, often an awkward one, if you regularly misunderstand what people are saying. This type of hearing loss makes it difficult to distinguish speech.
If you are noticing any of the above red flags, you should schedule a hearing exam as soon as possible. Here’s the good news, hearing testing is easy and the stigma of hearing loss is a thing of the past so there’s no reason to keep having trouble hearing.