Hearing loss can be brought on by numerous things and is usually extremely aggravating. There are some circumstances where hearing loss is related to a more severe underlying health condition and isn’t just the result of an injury or aging.
These are some hearing loss red flags you should look for
Hearing loss will frequently throw up a number of red flags indicating it’s time for a hearing test. Pay attention if any of these red flags appear.
Trouble hearing on the phone
Even with a volume control setting, you may find it difficult to hear the person you are talking to on the phone. If you are constantly cranking the volume up louder and louder on your cell phone or landline, you need to make an appointment as soon as you can for a hearing evaluation.
Trouble following conversations
Even though getting lost during a conversation isn’t always an indication of hearing loss, it may be a sign of hearing loss if you regularly have difficulty processing the conversation when two or more individuals are talking simultaneously.
People around you are complaining about the increasing volume of your TV
It can be difficult to hear tv shows, particularly if music is combined with dialog. It’s worthwhile to understand that cranking the tv up louder doesn’t always make the sound clearer. But if you continuously need the television turned up to a high volume that is uncomfortable for others in the room or if your neighbors are hearing your television, it is time to check your hearing.
Trouble hearing in noisy environments
If you are in a public location and the background sound makes it difficult to hear the others with you, it typically means you struggle to mask background noise and focus on speech. Individuals who are experiencing hearing loss most commonly have this complaint.
You say “what” frequently
If somebody is mumbling a few feet from you and you’re unable to hear them, that doesn’t automatically mean you have hearing loss. Still, if you say the word “what” more than any other word in your vocabulary, it might be a red flag that you aren’t getting sound signals clearly in order to process speech properly.
Misunderstanding what people say
It can be an indication of high frequency hearing loss, often an embarrassing one, if you frequently misunderstand what people are saying. This means you are not capable of discerning the sounds of speech.
If you are noticing any of the above red flags, you should schedule a hearing exam as soon as you can. Luckily, the stigma that was once related to hearing loss has nearly vanished, the exam is simple, and with the modern advances in hearing aid technologies, there’s no reason for you to keep suffering with hearing loss.
