Advice from Your Audiologist: How to Tell If Your Hearing is Damaged

Hearing loss is something that affects many Americans. According to the Hearing Loss Association of America, approximately 48 million people in the U.S. report some degree of hearing loss. There are many factors that can contribute to this. One of the strongest predictors is age and adult men are more likely to suffer from the condition than women.

So, how can you know if your hearing is damaged? In this post, we’ll explore what symptoms might indicate a hearing loss.

Top Signs of Hearing Loss

The sooner you address this medical condition, the better outcome you’ll have. These are the signs that you’re suffering from hearing loss.

• The trouble with hearing while on the phone: Whether you are on a landline or mobile, phones offer the feature to adjust the volume. If you have your phone set to the highest volume and still can’t hear the person on the other end clearly, then this could be an indication of hearing loss.
• Difficulty following a conversation with multiple people: Your ability to process multiple incoming and competing sounds deteriorates as you age. Some of this is normal, but if you find yourself literally lost in the conversation in various settings, it’s a good idea to have your hearing checked.
• Others complain about your TV volume being loud: The shows and movies you watch often have dialogue and background music playing at the same time, often making it hard to follow. If you continue to turn the volume up, and it becomes uncomfortable for others, this may be a sign of hearing loss.
• Straining to hear makes you tired: If you are in a busy environment, always struggling to hear, it takes a toll on you mentally and physically. You may even have a headache at the end of the day.
• Noisy environments have you out of the loop: Any public place has noise in the background. With hearing loss being able to tune out that background noise and focus on the conversation is much harder. This is a common complaint we hear from patients at Echo Hearing Center.
• Saying “what” or “pardon” a lot: Most everyone in a conversation says these expressions, especially when outside noise or mumbling occurs. However, if you find yourself saying this repeatedly every day, you may have hearing loss.
• People don’t seem to speak with clarity: If everyone you speak to sounds garbled, then you likely have a loss of hearing. You may even be able to hear the words but not understand them.
• Misunderstandings happen frequently: When talking with someone, those with hearing challenges often misinterpret what is said. This could be the result of high-frequency hearing loss, impacting your ability to recognize the sounds of speech.

Hearing is a vital part of your physical and emotional health. If your hearing has begun to fade, it’s time to take control of the situation and seek out an audiologist for clinical audiology services. You can have your hearing tested to understand precisely where the deficiencies are. Then you can investigate the many solutions available. Get the help you need today for a clearer tomorrow by requesting an appointment with our team at Echo Hearing Center by calling 303-789-1322.