We all want to believe we have good hearing, especially if we are still young. However, we need to know the signs if something is wrong. Sometimes something small can mean something serious. In the United States, 15 percent of adults report having trouble with their hearing. The statistics rise in adults aged 65-74 with 25 percent reporting loss of hearing. 50 percent of adults aged 75 and older report loss of hearing.
Here are a few symptoms you need to look for.
Difficulty Understanding Regular Conversation
One of the first signs of hearing loss is the difficulty understanding everyday conversation. You might think it’s due to background noise at times, but it could also mean you have lost some of your hearing. You might also feel like you are able to hear, but not quite understand what a person is saying.
This also applies for conversations on the phone, especially if your phone volume is turned up all the way.
Avoiding Social Situations
You might find yourself avoiding social situations you used to enjoy but now feel embarrassed to attend. This could be the result of not being able to hear well and having to ask others to repeat themselves often. You may particularly have issues communicating in noisy places such as clubs, restaurants, or even meetings.
Tinnitus
Tinnitis is ringing or buzzing in a person’s ears. You may also hear roaring, clicking or hissing. This is a common problem that is found in every 1 in 5 people. In some cases, the noise is so loud it can interfere with your ability to hear outside noises. These symptoms, and other signs of hearing loss, can be helped with super powerful hearing aids.
Difficulty Understanding Movies and TV
Besides regular conversation, you might find yourself turning the volume up a lot on the TV if you have hearing loss. It might even be easier for you to just read the subtitles, especially if you get complaints about the volume being turned up too high. This can make movie nights with the family or friends a bit frustrating–unless you happen to have a friend who likes to watch TV with subtitles.
Oversleeping
People may not think about hearing in relation to sleep very much, until they sleep through their alarm clock because they couldn’t hear it. Not hearing other noises may keep you from rising as well, such as a knock on your bedroom or someone calling your name.
Don’t Let it Go
Some people might be afraid of finding out they have hearing loss. It can affect your job, your social life and even your family life. You may not be able to hear certain noises, such as high pitches or the softer noises. It can be scary. If you have some of these symptoms, it wouldn’t hurt to get your hearing checked. Better yet, you might feel rejuvenated when you have a hearing aid and can finally hear noises you may not have known existed.
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