Do You Have Hearing Loss?

When hearing impairment develops gradually, as it does with age-related hearing loss, the person experiencing the change often doesn’t notice until somebody else points it out to them. Age-related hearing loss effects different people at different ages, if you think your ability to hear may be in decline it is important to seek advice from a professional. Older adults with hearing loss are at greater risk of developing degenerative conditions such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. If one or more of the following points apply to you, it would be a good idea to book an appointment with an audiologist.

1. Telephone troubles: Do you have difficulty understanding people over the telephone? This is one of the first and most telling signs of hearing loss, as without the visual cues you get when talking in person, understanding speech over the telephone relies exclusively on your hearing ability. Pay attention to your behaviour during calls; if you have trouble identifying familiar voices when you answer or often need people to repeat themselves, there is a strong chance you have a hearing problem.
2. Trouble with group conversations: Do you find yourself struggling to keep up when two or more people are talking at once? You may not even have noticed that you have difficulty following these conversations, if you find yourself regularly ‘tuning out’ or day dreaming during social situations such as dinner parties, it could be an indication that you have hearing loss.
3. Not noticing loud noises: If you are often surprised by other people complaining about loud sounds, such as the TV or stereo, it could be that you are not hearing these sounds as loudly as they are. This is another possible red flag for hearing loss.
4. Headaches and mental fatigue: Do you often find yourself mentally exhausted or suffering with headaches at the end of a busy day? Even very mild hearing loss can lead to cognitive stress as you strain to hear sounds throughout the day. While there are many other possible causes of headaches and fatigue, if you are experiencing these symptoms alongside any of the other issues mentioned in this list, it could be time to get your hearing checked out.
5. People often seem to be mumbling: If you very often think people aren’t speaking loud enough, it could be your hearing that is the problem and not the volume of their speech. Finding women and children’s voices the most difficult to understand makes hearing loss even more likely. This is because high-pitched sounds are often the first you will struggle with if your hearing ability is in decline.
6. Trouble hearing in large indoor spaces: The acoustics in cavernous spaces, such as churches and dinner halls, often make understanding speech particularly difficult for people with impaired hearing. If you struggle substantially more than usual to hear in these environments, there is a chance you could be suffering with hearing loss.