The last time you had dinner with family, you were rather frustrated. It wasn’t because of family crisis (this time). No, the source of the frustration was simple: it was loud, and you couldn’t hear a thing. So you didn’t get the chance to ask about Dave’s new kitten or Sally’s new job. It was difficult. You try to play it off as if the room’s acoustics are to blame. But you have to acknowledge that it might be an issue with your hearing.
It’s not generally recommended to self diagnose hearing loss because it’s extremely challenging to do. But there are some early red flags you should keep on your radar. When enough of these warning signs pop up, it’s worth scheduling an appointment to get a hearing exam.
Early signs of hearing impairment
Most of the symptoms of hearing loss are subtle. But if you happen to see your own experiences reflected in any of the items on the following list, you just could be experiencing some level of hearing loss.
Here are some of the most prevalent early signs of hearing loss:
- You notice it’s hard to understand particular words. This warning sign usually pops up because consonants are starting to sound similar, or at least, becoming harder to differentiate. Normally, it’s the sh- and th- sounds that are garbled. Sometimes, it’s the s- and f-sounds or p- and t-sounds that become conflated.
- Your ears are ringing: Ringing in your ears is known as tinnitus (and, technically, tinnitus can be other sounds too: humming, buzzing, screeching, thumping, and so on). Tinnitus isn’t always related to hearing issues, but it is frequently an early warning sign of hearing loss, so a hearing exam is probably in order.
- You notice that some sounds become oppressively loud. It’s one of the more uncommon early warning signs related to hearing loss, but hyperacusis is common enough that you may find yourself encountering its symptoms. If particular sounds become oppressively loud (especially if the issue doesn’t go away in short order), that may be an early hearing loss indicator.
- It’s suddenly very difficult to make out phone calls: You may not talk on the phone as often as you used to because you use texting fairly often. But you may be encountering another early warning sign if you’re having trouble understanding the calls you do take.
- Someone notices that the volume on your media devices is getting louder. Perhaps the volume on your cell phone keeps getting louder and louder. Or maybe, you have your TV volume turned up to max. Usually, it’s a family member or a friend that points out the loud volumes.
- High-pitched sounds are hard to hear. Perhaps you find your tea kettle has been whistling for five minutes but you didn’t notice it. Or perhaps the doorbell rings, and you don’t notice it. Hearing loss generally impacts particular frequencies usually higher pitched frequencies.
- You have a hard time hearing conversations in a crowded or noisy setting. This is exactly what occurred during the “family dinner” example above, and it’s frequently an early indication of trouble with hearing.
- You frequently need people to repeat what they said. This is particularly true if you’re asking numerous people to slow down, say something again, or speak up. This early sign of hearing loss could be occurring without you even noticing.
Next up: Take a test
You might have one or more of these early warnings but the only real way to know the health of your hearing is to get a hearing assessment.
In general, any single one of these early warning signs could indicate that you’re developing some type of hearing loss. And if any impairment you may have, a hearing assessment will be able to tell you how far gone it is. Once we identify the level of hearing loss, we can determine the best course of treatment.
This means your next family get-together can be much more enjoyable.
