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On average, Americans wait at least seven years from the time they start noticing changes in their hearing to the time they finally seek treatment. There are a lot of theories as to why this may be the case. Hearing loss is a degenerative issue, which means it slowly becomes worse over time. Because of this, many people may not immediately understand that some of the symptoms they are feeling may be signs of hearing loss. Another theory plays into the fact that there is still a slight stigma in our society surrounding hearing loss. Unfortunately, many people still understand hearing loss as an issue that either cannot be resolved, or is resolved with unsightly and ineffective hearing aids. The fact of the matter is that neither of these misconceptions are true! It is important to recognize the signs of hearing loss, so you can take the steps necessary to help treat your hearing loss.
Reach out to your local hearing aid center as soon as possible if you notice any of these signs of hearing loss.
- An Annoying Buzzing or Ringing in your Ears – If you feel like you constantly hear a buzzing or ringing in your ears when trying to fall asleep or in a quiet room, you are not going crazy. The ringing or buzzing you hear is called tinnitus, and is most often associated with hearing loss. In fact, a recent study conducted in Germany found that 83% of people who experienced tinnitus had some degree of hearing loss. Chances are, if you are experiencing this ringing or buzzing it may be a sign of a bigger issue.
- Hearing But Not Understanding – It is a very common concern amongst people with untreated hearing loss to feel like they can hear people speak, but do not understand what they are saying. This often happens to those with hearing loss because of the various pitches in speech. Many people with hearing loss can easily hear and distinguish lower pitched sounds, and have more difficulty hearing higher pitched sounds. In English, vowels (A,E,I,O & U), are spoken at a lower frequency while consonants such as S, F, Th, Sh, V, K and P are all spoken at a higher frequency and less distinguishable to someone with hearing loss. Inability to decipher these sounds can make understanding speech very difficult. This is also why some people feel it is more difficult to understand women’s and children’s voices versus men’s.
- Concern From Friends and Family – Chances are, if your friends or family have confronted you about your hearing loss, they have probably endured the issue on their own long before they ever spoke up. Your family and loved ones want you to live a happy and healthy life, and if they are expressing a concern to you about a health issue – it is usually wise to listen. Even if your loved ones haven’t explicitly mentioned hearing loss, have they stressed concerns about you not listening to them? Have they needed to ask you multiple times to turn down the volume on the TV? Have they become frustrated when you cannot understand them? All of these could be silent cries from your loved ones to get your hearing checked.
- Withdrawing from Social Gatherings – Have you found yourself secretly dreading events or outings you used to truly enjoy? Does your Saturday morning tee time or your Tuesday night happy hour suddenly feel like a chore, even though you used to love going? Do you find yourself making up excuses to miss events or parties? You may not realize it, but you might be slowing withdrawing from social gathers and loved ones due to your hearing loss. If hearing and understanding conversations is difficult, especially with multiple communication partners or in noisy environments, it can just feel easier to simply opt out of these situations. You are not doing yourself any favors here! It is especially important to address your hearing loss if you have noticed yourself withdrawing. Withdrawing can lead to social isolation, which has been linked to more serious issues such as depression and dementia.
If you think you may be experiencing some of the early signs of hearing loss, reach out to our friendly team at New Leaf Hearing Clinic today! There is no harm in taking a hearing test to gather information, and discuss with your specialist what options may be available to you. We look forward to walking with you on your journey to better hearing.