5 Signs Of Hearing Loss You Definitely Shouldn’t Ignore
When it comes to hearing loss early detection is important. If you’re already experiencing hearing loss and seek medical advice as soon as you can, there’s a better chance you can avoid doing further damage. You can also prevent some of the frustrating circumstances that accompany hearing loss, like having a difficult time hearing normal conversations.
Sometimes when you think about seeing a doctor for hearing loss related issues it’s intimidating. You may not be ready to talk about it and sometimes it’s hard to know it’s time to think about buying a hearing aid. These are understandable emotions to have but if you’re noticing you have some hearing difficulties they shouldn’t prevent you from getting help altogether.
If you aren’t sure what hearing loss signs you shouldn’t ignore that’s okay. It’s not something everyone is talking about by any means. Luckily there is advice for you online and there are signs you can watch for and take action after noticing. Here are five signs of hearing loss you definitely shouldn’t ignore.
1. You Can’t Hear Someone Talking On The Phone
This is often one of the first signs someone will notice when they start having trouble hearing. Phone calls remove you from a conversational setting. They take away contextual clues like expressions or gestures that may have compensated for hearing loss you haven’t noticed yet. If you’re constantly struggling to hear someone on the phone that’s a clue something is wrong.
Sometimes this is more evident if you consistently use a cellphone. You may notice yourself turning up the volume on a phone call frequently. That’s a sign that it’s not your phone causing the issue and it’s time to talk to a doctor. Especially if you notice you’re turning the volume up to hearing children or women more often as those voices are harder to hear with hearing damage.
Since this is one of the first signs something might be wrong with your hearing it’s a good way to get a doctor involved as early as possible. If you pay attention to this sign and act quickly you’ll be able to stop further damage and see what you can do to improve your hearing health right away. If this is a consistent issue for you it’s time to talk to your doctor.
2. You Can’t Hear In Group Settings
Something a lot of people with hearing loss will talk about is that it’s hard to differentiate background noise from conversations they’re actively involved in. This makes group settings especially difficult. Often adults with hearing loss that hasn’t been treated yet will report that they’ve withdrawn from social activities because they weren’t able to hear.
If you have started to avoid social settings because you’re unable to hear the people you’re talking with this is a sign something isn’t right. If the opposite is true, and you’re avoiding group settings because the noise is overwhelming, this is also a sign you should pay attention to. Finding group settings frustrating because you can’t hear or they’re too loud are both signs there’s a problem a doctor needs to help with.
Remember, if this only happens once or twice there’s probably not an issue. It’s something that should be a consistent problem before you start to worry. Leaving a party one time because it was too noisy is a normal thing to do. Leaving every group setting you might encounter because the noise bothers you or the conversations were too difficult to hear is an issue.
3. You Can’t Hear Your Alarm
This isn’t immediately obvious when you think about hearing loss. It’s easy to write off oversleeping and not hearing your alarm to other things. You may think you’re just sleeping harder than usual or wonder if your alarm wasn’t on full volume. While either could be the case if it happens once in a while if you oversleep all the time there could be more to it.
This isn’t something you should worry about if oversleeping is nothing new for you. If you’ve always had this particular problem it’s likely not a sign of hearing loss. However, if you’re newly oversleeping consistently it’s time to think about how well you’re able to hear. You may not be waking up on time because you can’t hear your alarm, literally.
4. You Can’t Clearly Hear People Talking To You
Sometimes people who struggle with untreated hearing loss will talk about how everyone around them seems to be mumbling. If you’re suddenly starting to feel frustrated when people talk to you because they don’t seem to be speaking clearly it may not be them. If everyone around you has started to mumble it’s time to think about talking to a doctor.
Keep in mind this should be a concern if everyone around you is suddenly mumbling, not if it’s isolated to one specific person. If it’s just one person it’s very possible they’re mumbling or not speaking clearly. If it’s everyone around you, it’s more likely to be a hearing problem than anything else. Talk to your doctor and let them know what’s going on.
5. You Keep Getting Things Wrong
If you’ve started getting frustrated with people constantly correcting you that’s something you should take note of. If you’re struggling and frustrated because everyone around you is always correcting what you thought you heard them say, that’s a sign there’s something wrong. This is especially true if you’ve always been a great listener.
As frustrating as it is to be constantly corrected, try to stay calm about this particular sign. If you can, ask others how long they’ve noticed that you seem to be mishearing things. They can let you know if it’s something new or something that’s been consistent for a long time. Either way, you’ll have information to give your doctor when you talk to them about this sign.
Conclusion:
Hearing loss is a frustrating thing to experience. It can be complicated by other frustrations like not wanting to visit the doctor because you’re embarrassed. Try to remember the signs you’ve read about here and use them to tell you when it’s time to seek a medical opinion.
The sooner you get help the less frustrated you’ll feel with the signs you’re experiencing. Hearing loss doesn’t have to stop you from living a normal life. Talk to your doctor and get help early so you can get back to being your normal self. That’s what will make everything worth it.
