Hearing loss can be a consequence of numerous things and is usually very frustrating. There are some situations where hearing loss is a consequence of a more serious underlying health problem and isn’t simply the result of aging or an injury.
Look out for these hearing loss red flags
Hearing loss will frequently throw up various red flags indicating it’s time for a hearing exam. Pay attention if any of these red flags manifest.
Difficulties hearing on the phone
You might be having a difficult time hearing phone calls even with the volume setting. If you are constantly turning the volume up louder and louder on your cell phone or landline, you need to make an appointment as soon as possible for a hearing exam.
Difficulty making out 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 regularly have a hard time processing the conversation when two or more people are talking simultaneously.
People around you are complaining about the increasing volume of your TV
It can be difficult to follow television programs, especially if music is combined with dialog. We need to understand that the sound doesn’t automatically get clearer when you crank the volume up. But it’s time to have your hearing checked if your neighbors can hear your TV or if you continuously need the volume on a very loud setting.
Trouble hearing in noisy environments
It usually means you’re struggling to distinguish speech from background sound if hearing in a public place has become a challenge. This is one of the most common complaints of individuals who are going through hearing loss.
You say “what” a lot
Just because you can’t hear someone 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 say
It can be a sign of high frequency hearing loss, often an embarrassing one, if you regularly misunderstand what people are saying. This form of hearing loss makes it difficult to discern speech.
Contact us for a hearing exam as soon as you can if you are experiencing any of the above red flags. The good news is, 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.