What Are The Signs of Hearing Loss?

More often than not the first sign of hearing loss is the perception that every one is mumbling or speaking unclearly. They aren't, you just can't hear them properly. Hearing loss is poorly understood generally, most people think hearing loss is about volume, but generally it isn't, it is about clarity. People with hearing loss can hear the voices, they just don't understand what is being said because the voices lack clarity.

Hear the voice, haven't a clue

As I said, most people with acquired hearing loss can hear the voice, but they miss the consonant sounds in speech and therefore everythng sounds mumbled. The reason for this is that most acquired (happens after birth) hearing loss happens in the high frequency areas of hearing. Those areas are responsible for hearing consonant sounds, those sounds are imperative for the understanding of words. Words without consonants are just mush, no sharp edges.

The signs of hearing loss

Signs of hearing loss may include:

• Muffling of speech and other sounds, people seem to mutter
• Difficulty understanding words, especially in background noise or in a crowd of people
• Trouble hearing the consonant sounds
• Frequently asking others to speak more slowly, clearly and loudly
• Needing to turn up the volume of the television or radio
• Withdrawal from conversations
• Avoidance of some social settings

What you need to ask yourself

You need to ask yourself the following questions, but, you need to give honest answers. These questions can help you to identify common warning signs of hearing loss:

• Do you have difficulty following conversations?
• Do you ask others to repeat themselves?
• Do you complain that people mumble or speak too fast?
• It is difficult for you to hear and understand women and children?
• Do you have ringing in your ears?
• Do you have a favorite ear?
• Do you have trouble hearing on the telephone?
• Do you find yourself turning up the volume of your television?
• Do others complain that you keep the volume of your television too loud?
• Do you avoid noisy places?
• Do you ever feel embarrassed about misunderstanding what others say to you?
• Do you feel tired after listening in challenging environments?

if you answer yes to two or more questions, well then you need to consider a hearing test. If you think that you are having any of these problems, you can book an appointment with us by calling 08 9386 7816 now.