Warning Signs Of Hearing Loss You Shouldn’t Ignore

Your hearing is an essential part of your overall well-being and should be looked after. Just like your eyesight, you should be going on regular visits to the audiologist to ensure your hearing is to the standard that is expected for your age.

As you get older, it is inevitable that your hearing will deteriorate, it’s very normal and happens to a lot of people. You shouldn’t worry, instead, pay attention to your hearing and make sure it’s not getting abnormally worse than you would expect. As soon as you suspect it’s reducing more than you would imagine, book a visit to an audiologist for them to run specialized checks on your hearing to reassure you that everything is as it should be.

No matter your age, it’s important to recognize the warning signs of hearing loss to make sure you get help if required. Below we have put together our guide on warning signs of hearing loss you shouldn’t ignore. If at any point you suspect you fall into one of the categories, do not hesitate to get in touch with a member of our expert team.

You Have Trouble Following a Conversation

A big sign to pay attention to is that you struggle to follow conversations. If you find yourself engaging with others but struggling to hear and follow what is being said, this could be a sign your hearing is deteriorating – especially if you have to keep asking them to repeat themselves. Sometimes it could be a one-off that doesn’t require attention, however if you are finding yourself struggling on a regular occurrence, this is a sign you may need support.

The TV Is Constantly Being Turned Up

Another sign you may need to seek help is if you find yourself turning your TV up above the average number you normally choose. A lot of us spend many hours a week watching tv and can recognized the volume we would normally put the tv on. Try to pay attention to this number and if you are increasing it a lot more due to not being able to hear it as well, this is a warning sign of hearing loss you shouldn’t ignore.

You Find Yourself Getting Distracted More Easily

When you are struggling to hear, you can find your mind wandering more as you find it hard to concentrate on people’s speech when they are talking to you. Instead of entering conversations, you avoid them as you don’t want to be rude and keep asking them to repeat themselves. When you are around others, you may find yourself being distracted more easily as you are not able to engage with them.

You Can’t Hear Background Noise

When you sit back and relax, you may not realize but there is always some sort of sound that you can hear. Whether that be the cars driving past outside, city noises or your neighbor making noise above or next door. Try to spend a moment listening to the sounds around you, if you suddenly find you can’t hear any background noise then it could be possible you are struggling with hearing loss.

Asking People to Repeat Themselves

We touched on it above, but another warning sign of hearing loss that you shouldn’t ignore is asking people to repeat themselves. Try to pay attention when in a conversation to how you interact. If you find yourself constantly saying pardon or asking them to repeat what they said, this could be a sign that you are not hearing as well and should get a checkup.

Is Your Hearing Loss Sudden?

Have you gone to sleep, woken up and had a sudden loss of hearing? Don’t ignore this and think it will get better overnight. In some cases, it will and we hope it does, however in other instances it may continue to get worse. For this reason, it’s important to see an audiologist so that they can diagnose the reason for the sudden loss of hearing. It may be that they let you know it will come back to normal over a few weeks – it could be that you picked up a bug or a virus.

If you think you are experiencing any of the warning signs above or think you are experiencing hearing loss, please get in touch. Learn more about Arkansas Professional Hearing Care and call us today at (501) 588-0177. We have an expert team on hand ready to answer any questions you may have.