Do you find it difficult to communicate on the phone? Or do any of your family members or neighbors remind you that your television sound is too loud? These are some of the symptoms of hearing loss.
Today, hearing loss has become most prevalent in humans. WHO (World Health Organization) says that in India alone, approximately 6.3 Crore people are suffering from Significant Auditory Impairment.
If you want to stop any hearing loss, like any medical condition, you have to find the problem early and provide the necessary solutions.
Common Signs and Symptoms of Hearing Loss
So, for early identification, take a closer look at these ten common early signs of hearing loss:
Trouble Communicating on Phone
Mild hearing loss is considered as the first stage of hearing loss. This includes finding it difficult to understand and communicate through the phone. During phone conversations if you have background noise and poor reception, it can affect your communication.
But with hearing loss, communication on the phone become even harder. Because of this the voices may hear muffled and it might become nearly impossible to understand what people is saying on the other side of the phone.
Get Frequent Complaints That Your TV is too Loud
Do you find it hard to enjoy any TV programs or miss the part you like more? You may be left with no other option but to increase the TV volume. But it creates an uncomfortable situation for your family members or neighbours who may remind you regularly about higher volume. If that’s the case for you, then you should know that it’s one of the first signs of hearing loss.
You Rely on Reading Lips When People Talk
Have you seen people who have trouble seeing? They may get closer to see the object or squint their eyes to see clearly. The same applies to hearing loss as well. If you have signs of hearing loss then you may be compelled to focus on the lips and face of the people who are speaking. It can be awkward at times to continuously see a person’s lips during the conversation.
Also Read – Workplace Strategies for the Hearing Impaired
People Seem to Be Stumbling
Have you noticed a rise in mumbling among people in your life? Your capacity to hear particular sounds is reduced when you have hearing loss. It is possible that you will hear a combination of unfinished sounds instead of whole phrases and sentences. Talking with women or children can make your hearing loss apparent as their voices tend to be higher-pitched, softer or more difficult to understand.
You Misunderstand What People Say
“You want me to catch a dog?” “No, Surya, I said, ‘See the dog!'” Have you experienced any misconception like this? Misconceptions are one of the common signs and symptoms of hearing loss. It is the early stages of high-frequency hearing loss, which affects your capacity to distinguish sounds.
You may have trouble understanding conversations, so you may often ask people to speak slowly or loudly or repeat themselves. It might be awkward to frequently misunderstand someone. Even worse, a lot of miscommunication might affect your ability to bond with family and friends.
Avoiding Social Events
Your friends, spouse and children may feel that you aren’t paying attention or conversing with them as you find it difficult to understand what they are saying. Though conversation is a vital factor of each relationship, it can be emotionally draining if you have hearing loss as you have to constantly listen and observe conversations, so you may avoid social events.
Also read– Building Self-Esteem and Confidence Despite Hearing Challenges
Hearing Loss in Infants
Infants usually startle or move after they hear loud noises. It can be one of the signs of hearing loss in infants if they don’t respond to sudden noises. Infants often start cooing and chattering sounds at the age of 3 to 4 months. Infants with hearing impairments may have limited or delayed schedule vocalization.
A toddler can also have hearing loss if they are not responding to sounds, which includes their mother and father’s speech or the ringing of the doorbell.
Troubles Listening in Loud Environments
Everyone enjoys catching up with friends at your preferred neighborhood or exploring the latest restaurant in town. Dining out can be difficult because it can be hard to hear the people at your table because of the background noise.
If you have hearing loss you may struggle to pay attention on communication over background noise. Experts in hearing care note that this is a very common complaint among hearing loss patients.
Feel a Ringing Sensation in Ears
Most people would have possibly experienced ringing sensation at some point, but if it takes place frequently for you, you may have Tinnitus. It is a malfunction inside the auditory system, or something has gone wrong in your hearing system for a long time, which affects approximately 7% of Indians.
The tone and sound of Tinnitus can vary, ranging from clicking to swishing, whistling to hissing and clicking to ringing. If you have Tinnitus, or ringing, in only ear then it may be signs of hearing loss in one ear.
You Are Not Yourself
You may be depressed, preoccupied, or uninterested in talks. Perhaps you’re having trouble balancing your stability, or you’re falling more frequently. It’s possible that you’ve stopped your social interactions or that your mental readability has dwindled.
All of those problems are related to signs of hearing loss, even if it may not look like it. You won’t feel like yourself when you have poor hearing, so it’s really worth it to get treatment.
Final Thoughts
Some of the soundtracks on your life might be missing in case you have two or more of the above mentioned hearing loss signs and symptoms. Even people with completely normal hearing may at times find it troubling to hear during challenging environments.
However, if you frequently feel any of the above mentioned signs, then it is best to check and fix your hearing. The process of fixing your hearing depends on the causes and severity of your hearing loss. There are varieties of hearing aids available to help fix the hearing loss.
If you have any doubt that you may be having hearing issues then visit Crystal Hearing Solutions a leading hearing aid clinic in Mumbai. An experienced Audiologist from Crystal Hearing Solutions will look at your ears to identify the problem and suggest right hearing aid.