Do you suspect that your hearing is not what it was? Do you keep delaying contacting a hearing care professional? If so, you are not alone. Many Americans will wait years before seeking treatment for a hearing loss.
Understanding the symptoms of hearing loss is the first step towards better hearing. Below, we look at the top 8 signs of hearing loss. If you recognize any of these symptoms, please don’t delay in contacting us at Anderson Audiology.
- Volume on high – Often the first noticeable sign is somebody else pointing out how loud you have your music or television set. That, or you notice how quiet other people seem to have their volumes. You may find yourself routinely needing to keep increasing your volumes. All of these would indicate a more slowly developing hearing loss.
- “I’m sorry I didn’t catch that?” – Does it seem like most people mumble? Do you frequently have to ask someone to repeat themselves or find yourself guessing what they said? This can be terribly frustrating and potentially embarrassing. However with treatment, this common symptom of hearing loss can vastly improve and enable you to socialize much more confidently.
- One at a time please – Do you struggle to follow group conversations and tend to avoid them? What about noisy environments? If you find yourself saying “no” to things you used to enjoy, consider if it’s because you get anxious beforehand about managing the noise levels. If you have a hearing loss, this reaction is very understandable but social withdrawal can lead to feelings of isolation and ultimately to cognitive decline and depression if it’s left untreated.
- Tinnitus – Do you suffer with any persistent irritating sounds such as ringing or buzzing? This is known as tinnitus and it can be a warning sign of noise induced hearing loss. Many people believe there are no treatments for this condition, but it can be managed and even prevented from worsening. Tinnitus can seriously impact your quality of life, so why not see if we can help?
- What’s missing? – This one is a bit more tricky, but stop and think about when you last heard the birds chirping or how often you’ve slept through your alarm? There may be things you haven’t realized you are missing, sometimes it’s certain frequencies i.e high frequency tones such as women and children’s voices or some letter sounds.
- Difficulty hearing on the telephone – Do you avoid using the phone? For many people with a hearing loss it’s the lack of visual stimulus that makes it difficult to follow a conversation on the phone. Additionally the tone and background noise can make it seem almost impossible to communicate this way.
- Hearing fatigue – Untreated hearing loss can be very tiring because you are having to concentrate on filtering out other sounds, trying to lip read and filling in any blanks. You may also be battling anxiety and discomfort from loud sounds. Headaches, general tension and fatigue may be a regular occurrence.
- My “Good Ear” – Do you have a preference which ear someone speaks into? Have you noticed you miss things more on one side than the other? This is a clear sign of single sided hearing loss.
If you are still unsure if you need a hearing test, try our free hearing loss checklist.
At Anderson Audiology, We’re Here to Help You!
Early detection of a hearing loss is the best way to reduce the impact it can have on your quality of life. At Anderson Audiology, our hearing specialists would be happy to give you a hearing assessment. Call us today on 702-997-2964. Alternatively, click here to request an appointment online.