Hearing loss can be a consequence of numerous things and is usually incredibly frustrating. While hearing loss is often caused by age or an injury, in some situations, hearing loss might be an indication of a more severe root medical condition.
These are some hearing loss red flags you should watch for
There are varieties of red flags that might be an indication of hearing loss and that it’s time to schedule a hearing test appointment. Pay attention if any of these red flags show up.
Difficulties hearing on the phone
Even with a volume control setting, you may find it hard to hear the individual you are talking to on the phone. If you are constantly turning the volume up louder and louder on your cell phone or landline, you need to schedule an appointment as soon as you can for a hearing exam.
Difficulty following conversations
Even though getting lost when you’re having a conversation isn’t always a sign of hearing loss, it might be a sign of hearing loss if you frequently have trouble processing the conversation when two or more people are talking at the same time.
People around you are complaining about the rising volume of your TV
It can be challenging to follow tv shows, particularly if music is combined with dialog. It’s worthwhile to know that cranking the tv 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 high setting.
Difficulty hearing in loud environments
If you are in a public place and the background noise makes it hard to hear the other people with you, it generally means you struggle to mask background noise and focus on speech. This is one of the most prevalent complaints of individuals who are developing hearing loss.
You keep asking people what they said
If somebody is mumbling a few feet from you and you’re unable to hear them, that doesn’t always indicate you have hearing loss. However, it may be a red flag that you aren’t receiving and processing speech properly if the word “what” is the most used word in your vocabulary.
Misunderstanding what people say
It can be a sign of high frequency hearing loss, often an embarrassing one, if you regularly misunderstand what people are saying. This means you are not capable of discerning the sounds of speech.
If you are dealing with any of the above red flags, you should schedule a hearing exam as soon as possible. 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 continue to have difficulty hearing.