Hearing loss can be brought on by many things and is usually very frustrating. Although hearing loss is often due to age or an injury, in some circumstances, hearing loss may be a symptom of a more serious underlying medical issue.
Look out for these hearing loss red flags
There are a number of red flags that might be a sign of hearing loss and that it’s time to schedule a hearing assessment appointment. Here are a few of those red flags that should make you pay attention.
Difficulties hearing on the phone
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 turning up the volume on your phone.
Difficulty following conversations
At times, we get lost during conversations even when our hearing is healthy, but if it happens often, especially when more than two people are talking, it’s probably an indication of hearing loss.
People around you are complaining about the increasing volume of your TV
It can be a challenge to hear tv shows, particularly if music is combined with dialog. It’s important to recognize that turning the tv up louder doesn’t always clear up the sound. But if you continuously need the television turned up to a high volume that is unpleasant for others in the room or if your neighbors can hear your television, it is time to get your hearing checked.
Difficulty hearing in loud environments
If you are in a public location and the background sound makes it difficult to hear the others with you, it typically means you struggle to filter out background noise and tune into speech. People who are experiencing hearing loss most commonly have this complaint.
You keep asking people what they said
If somebody is mumbling a few feet from you and you can’t hear them, that doesn’t necessarily indicate you have hearing loss. However, it may be a red flag that you aren’t receiving and processing speech correctly if the word “what” is the most used word in your vocabulary.
Misunderstanding what people are saying
It can be a sign of high frequency hearing loss, often an embarrassing one, if you regularly misunderstand what people are saying. This form of hearing loss makes it difficult to discern speech.
If you are dealing with any of the above red flags, you should schedule a hearing test 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 keep having difficulty hearing.