On average, it takes a person around 10 years to finally accept a hearing loss. That is not to say that someone will have a hearing consultation and then ignore the results for 10 years. It means that there may be little signs over the years that your hearing is not what it was but nothing will be done about it.
Turning the volume up
The number one sign that you need to book in for a hearing test is having the volume up high. If you find yourself consistently turning the volume up on the TV and radio, this could be your first sign of hearing loss. It could also be that you have gradually increased the standard volume of the TV over a period of time and then when friends or family are over, they remark on how loud you have the volume.
Most hearing aids have an accompanying TV streaming device meaning that the sound of the TV can be streamed directly to your hearing aids. This means the volume can stay at a reasonable level.
Add a TV Connector to your hearing aid order and stream the TV directly to your aids.
Asking people to repeat themselves
Another sign of hearing loss is if you are finding conversations increasingly difficult. It could be that you are finding yourself asking people to repeat themselves more and more often. People with an untreated hearing loss often find phone conversations tricky to follow too.
If you feel like a family member or friend is experiencing this, it could be a good time to discuss a hearing consultation with them. The earlier a hearing loss is diagnosed and treatment is started, the better for the individual.
Struggling in noisy environments
Noisy restaurants and bars can be challenging listening situations for anyone. If you have an untreated hearing loss, it can be very difficult for you to join in the conversation in this environment. Hearing aids have specific programs that you can select when you are in a difficult listening environment. These programs help to block out the background noise and increase speech clarity.
Missing your alarm
Don’t ignore signs such as constantly missing your alarm in the morning, not hearing the doorbell or missing phone calls. These are all signs that you may have a hearing loss. The easiest and most proactive way to determine if it is a hearing loss causing these things, is to book in and have your hearing tested.
Ringing in your ears
A huge number of people suffer with tinnitus. This is a ringing or buzzing noise that only you can hear; there is no external source for the sound. In a lot of cases, tinnitus goes hand in hand with hearing loss. If the tinnitus is being caused by hearing loss, wearing a hearing aid can really help to reduce the symptoms of tinnitus. There are also tinnitus calming programs that can be added to the hearing aids.
Tinnitus can be truly debilitating for sufferers. Wearing hearing aids can help to mask the symptoms.
If you’re experiencing some, or all, of these symptoms, it’s time to book in for a hearing test. You can visit a local hearing aid audiologist and they will be able to test your hearing, discuss the results with you and demonstrate hearing aids that would benefit you. If you would like to discuss your hearing loss symptoms further, please don’t hesitate to give us a call.
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