Hearing loss can be a consequence of many things and is usually very aggravating. There are some circumstances where hearing loss is a consequence of a more serious underlying health problem and isn’t simply the result of an injury or aging.
Look out for these hearing loss red flags
Hearing loss will frequently throw up a variety of red flags indicating it’s time for a hearing assessment. Here are a few of those red flags that should make you take notice.
Difficulties hearing on the phone
You might be having a hard time hearing phone calls even with the volume setting. If you are continually cranking the volume up louder and louder on your cell phone or landline, you should make an appointment as soon as possible for a hearing assessment.
Difficulty following conversations
Even though getting lost when you’re having a conversation isn’t always a sign of hearing loss, it may be a sign of hearing loss if you frequently have a hard time processing the conversation when two or more people are talking at the same time.
People around you are complaining about the increasing volume of your TV
It can be a challenge to hear television programs, particularly if music is combined with dialog. It’s worthwhile to recognize that turning the tv up louder doesn’t always clear up the sound. But if you consistently need the tv cranked up to a high volume that is uncomfortable for other people in the room or if your neighbors can hear your television, it is time to check your hearing.
Difficulty hearing in noisy environments
If you are in a public location and the background noise makes it difficult to hear the others with you, it usually means you struggle to filter out background noise and tune into speech. Individuals who are developing hearing loss most commonly have this complaint.
You say “what” a lot
Just because you can’t hear somebody mumbling several feet away doesn’t mean you have hearing loss. Still, if you say the word “what” more than any other word in your vocabulary, it may be a red flag that you aren’t getting sound signals clearly in order to process speech properly.
Failing to understand what people are saying
Misunderstanding what people say can be embarrassing and is often a sign of high frequency hearing loss. This means you are unable to discern the sounds of speech.
If you are dealing with any of the above red flags, you should schedule a hearing exam as soon as possible. Here’s the good news, hearing testing is simple and the stigma of hearing loss is a thing of the past so there’s no reason to continue to have difficulty hearing.
