According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, around 15% of the adult population in the US have some level of hearing loss or hearing difficulties. While many types of hearing loss are genetics or the natural ageing process, a large portion is noise-induced hearing loss.

One of the most important factors when it comes to hearing loss is the early signs. Once you identify hearing loss in yourself, your children, or someone else – it is time to book a hearing test and look at options like hearing aids and other preventative measures. There are so many options when it comes to hearing aids, from behind the ear hearing aids to inner ear hearing aids that’ll make more sense to you when you speak to an audiologist. You can then make the best possible decision for your hearing health. Once you start noticing some differences, you’ll be happier to visit hearing aid clinics and get the right support from hearing health professionals. It’s vital that you do this as soon as you can so that you can be diagnosed and supported. Here are some of the early signs to look out for:

Exhaustion:

Feeling tired can be tricky because most of us have very busy lives. Are we tired because we have been exercising more? Are we tired because work has been insane? But there is a type of exhaustion that comes with straining to listen all of the time too. Listening fatigue happens when you are using a lot of energy to engage in conversations for most of the day. Working extra hard to fill gaps and intensely listen to what is going on. Sometimes listening fatigue can present itself in ways like wanting the room silent or getting to a point where you can’t listen or engage anymore.

Crowds:

High-frequency hearing loss can be more noticeable in crowds, social events, clubs, bars, and even in restaurants. The background noise and speech can become blurred together, making following a conversation increasingly difficult. Another sign can be if you decide to stop attending events because you are embarrassed or not comfortable due to the fact that you find it difficult to hear people speaking to you.

High Pitched:

When was the last time you heard the birds singing? Or the trill of a high-pitched song or even the doorbell? Sometimes the first thing to not notice anymore is the birds, but because we don’t actively listen to them, it can be difficult to recognize that they are missing. It can also happen with people who speak at a higher pitch, like children. If you start to notice that you aren’t hearing birds or high pitches anymore, it is time to get your hearing checked.

Consonants:

With age-related hearing loss, the early signs are often consonants and some other letter combinations. These are typically sounded out at a lower frequency, with the middle of the word being lower in pitch. When these are more difficult to hear, miscommunications can happen more frequently. Here is a list:

• S
• F
• Sh
• Th
• H
• P
• V
• K

Repetition:

Can you say that again, please? One more time? When you find yourself asking someone to repeat themselves often or get frustrated or embarrassed and stop asking – that can be an early sign of hearing loss. For the person with hearing loss, this can be hard to manage because feeling like a burden often comes along with asking people to repeat themselves. It can also present itself as needing to rewind the movie or TV show you are watching to hear it again.

Hearing loss is common, but getting a hearing test regularly should be part of your general health and wellness checks: Health Checks To Add To Your Schedule.

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