Is Something Wrong with My Hearing?

If there’s something wrong with your hearing, it’s best to face up to it rather than go into denial. Taking action is as simple as taking an online hearing test or visiting your physician for a checkup.

Telltale Signs of Hearing Loss

If you aren’t sure if your hearing is getting worse or people are mumbling more, consider the following signs which could indicate your hearing is not what it once was:

• Have the people around you developed the habit of mumbling rather than speaking clearly? If the answer is yes, then it could be they are speaking in the same way they always did, but you have lost some of your ability to hear certain sound frequencies. 
• Do you catch yourself frequently asking people to repeat what they’ve just said? Monitor how often you find yourself asking, “Could you please say that again?” or “I didn’t quite catch that, please could you repeat it?”
• In a club or public place such as a restaurant, do you struggle to hold a conversation? Yes, restaurants are noisy, but other people manage to converse whereas you find it difficult to keep up because the voices are indistinct and the background noise intrudes. This is a common sign of hearing loss and a good indication you need to take action.
• In a group situation, are you the last to react to the punchline?  If you have mild hearing loss, the brain fills in the gaps when you didn’t quite catch a word. However, processing this information and selecting a likely word takes time. This means you don’t always keep up and may get the point of the conversation only after the speaker has moved on to the next sentence. This makes it difficult to fully participate and put up your side of the argument. So if group conversations leave you feeling frustrated, consider your hearing might be to blame.
• Do you have to concentrate extra hard when participating in a conversation? Hearing isn’t just about the ears picking up sounds; it’s about the brain interpreting the data. Sometimes your ears work just fine, but the nerve pathway to the brain is compromised, and you find speech sounds like a radio that isn’t properly tuned in. Overcoming this takes extra concentration, and you end up needing to fully concentrate on the conversation rather than multi-task and cook a meal at the same time. If you’re pausing in everyday activities in order to listen, then think about your hearing.
• Do you turn the volume up on the TV or radio? Last but certainly not least, take a look at the volume setting on your TV or radio. Is it turned higher than it used to be, or does your family wince when you turn up the volume?

Remember, taking control is as simple as scheduling a hearing test with an audiologist.