Your last family dinner was discouraging. Not because of any family drama (though there’s always a bit of that). The issue was the noise, which was making it difficult to hear anything. So you weren’t able to have very much enjoyable conversation with any members of your family. It was irritating. You feel like the room’s acoustics played a big part. But you’re also willing to accept that your hearing might be starting to wane.
It can be incredibly difficult to self-diagnose hearing loss (that’s why, typically, it’s not recommended). But you should keep your eye out for some early warning signs. When enough of these red flags emerge, it’s worth scheduling an appointment to get tested by a hearing professional.
Early Signs of Hearing Loss
Several of the signs of hearing loss are subtle. But if you happen to find yourself noticing any of the items on the following list, you just may be going through some level of hearing loss.
Some of the most common early signs of bad hearing may include:
- Someone makes you realize that you keep turning the volume up. Perhaps you keep turning the volume up on your mobile device. Maybe it’s your TV that’s at max volume. Usually, you’re not the one that notices the loud volume, it’s your children, maybe your neighbor, or your friends.
- Some words seem harder to hear than others. This warning sign often pops up because consonants are starting to sound similar, or, at least, becoming harder to differentiate. The th- and sh- sounds are very commonly muffled. It can also commonly be the p- and t- sounds or the s- and f- sounds
Next Up: Get a Exam
Regardless of how many of these early warning signs you may encounter, there’s really only one way to recognize, with certainty, whether your hearing is going bad: get a hearing test.
Broadly speaking, even one of these early warning signs could be verification that you’re developing some type of hearing impairment. What level of hearing loss you may be dealing with can only be established with a hearing evaluation. Then it will become more evident what needs to be done about it.
This means your next family gathering can be far more enjoyable.
