Signs of hearing loss commonly seen

Hearing loss is one of those things which seems to creep up on you. It’s not as though you’re hearing fine one weekend and then you can’t the next. It’s something that builds up over years, decades in fact. The process of hearing loss actually begins in our 30s and typically becomes much more noticeable past the age of 60. However, that doesn’t mean that you should wait until you think you’ve got a problem. Hearing loss initially presents itself in very subtle ways that you might not even notice. Given that millennials (those born in the 80s and 90s) are going to have higher levels of hearing loss compared to their parents, hearing loss should no longer be seen as something affecting only those in their later years. Here are three signs that it may be time to book a hearing test.

“Come again?”

Often, it‘s the small things that matter. We all ask people to repeat themselves from time to time. However, it’s when this becomes a little too common that you should start paying attention. People will often sound muffled or like they are mumbling when you have a hearing loss. You will be able to hear that they are speaking but have difficulty understanding what they are saying. Relationships can become frustrating as friends, family and partners cannot communicate as freely and as easily as they once could. This eventually leads to withdrawal from all but the most essential interactions with people leading to isolation.

Turning the volume up

If you notice that you’re tuning up the volume on your TV, radio or even your headphones louder than you used to in the past, this could be a sign you have a hearing loss. This is especially the case if people tell you that you turn the TV too loud. As mentioned above however, you’re much more likely to experience this on your headphones listening to music than anything else. Hearing loss among teenagers today is 30% higher than in the 1980s. If you’ve found the volume creeping up on your smartphone over the years, it may be time to get your hearing checked.

Difficulty in group conversations

Hearing loss often presents itself as a difficulty in hearing people in groups. Hearing with one or two people in quiet environment will be fine but any more than that will pose a challenge. This will be especially bad somewhere with significant background noise like a restaurant or a group setting. The combination of more than one person speaking at one time and interfering noise at the venue will put most social events out of reach. This further adds to the isolation of those with hearing loss as they begin avoiding social situations.

These are just three of the most common symptoms that you might have a hearing loss. If you think you’re turning up the volume on your iPhone just a little louder than you used to or you’re asking “come again?” a tad too much, it might be time you had a hearing test. Book a free one with Veritas today.

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