Hearing loss can be caused by numerous things and is usually incredibly frustrating. While hearing loss is often due to age or an injury, in some circumstances, hearing loss may be a symptom of a more severe root medical condition.
Look out for these hearing loss red flags
Hearing loss will often throw up a number of red flags indicating it’s time for a hearing exam. Here are some of those red flags that should make you take notice.
Having trouble hearing phone calls
You might be having a difficult time hearing phone calls even with the volume setting. If you are constantly cranking the volume up louder and louder on your cell phone or landline, you should make an appointment as soon as you can for a hearing exam.
Trouble following conversations
Even though getting lost when you’re having 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 people are talking simultaneously.
People around you are complaining about the rising volume of your TV
Following along with tv shows, particularly when there’s dialog and music, can be difficult. It’s important to recognize that cranking the tv up louder doesn’t always clear up the sound. 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 really high setting.
Trouble hearing in loud settings
If you are in a public place and the background noise makes it hard to hear the others with you, it typically means you struggle to filter out background noise and focus on speech. Individuals who are experiencing hearing loss most frequently 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 necessarily 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 receiving sound signals clearly in order to process speech correctly.
Misunderstanding what people say
It can be an indication of high frequency hearing loss, often an awkward one, if you frequently misunderstand what people are saying. This type of hearing loss makes it difficult to distinguish speech.
If you are dealing with any of the above red flags, you should schedule a hearing assessment as soon as you can. 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 continue to have trouble hearing.