Hearing loss can be a consequence of many things and is generally very aggravating. There are some situations where hearing loss is a consequence of a more severe underlying health problem and isn’t simply the result of an injury or aging.
These are some hearing loss red flags you should watch for
Hearing loss will frequently throw up a variety of red flags indicating it’s time for a hearing test. Here are a few of those red flags that should make you pay attention.
Trouble hearing on the telephone
You might be having a difficult time hearing phone calls even with the volume setting. You need to call us for a hearing test if you find yourself constantly cranking up the volume on your phone.
Trouble following conversations
At times, we get lost when we’re having conversations even when our hearing is normal, but if it occurs often, especially when more than two people are talking, it’s likely an indication of hearing loss.
People around you are complaining about the increasing volume of your TV
Following along with television shows, especially when there’s dialog and music, can be difficult. It’s worthwhile to recognize that cranking the television up louder doesn’t always make the sound clearer. But it’s time to have your hearing assessed if your neighbors can hear your TV or if you constantly need the volume on a really loud setting.
Trouble hearing in noisy settings
If you are in a public location and the background noise makes it difficult to hear the other people with you, it usually means you struggle to mask background noise and focus on speech. People who are experiencing hearing loss most frequently have this complaint.
You keep asking people what they said
If someone is mumbling a few feet from you and you can’t hear them, that doesn’t always indicate 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 are saying
It can be a sign of high frequency hearing loss, often an awkward one, if you regularly misunderstand what people are saying. This type of hearing loss makes it hard to discern speech.
If you are noticing any of the above red flags, you should schedule a hearing test as soon as possible. Here’s the good news, hearing testing is simple and the stigma of hearing loss is a thing of the past so there’s no reason to continue to have trouble hearing.