Hearing loss doesn’t typically happen all at once. Instead, it slowly develops over time.
If you’re having trouble hearing, you’ve come to the right place. Read on to learn more about the early signs of hearing loss.
1. High-pitched voices sound unclear
If you’re having trouble hearing high-pitched voices, it could be a first sign of hearing loss. As we get older, the cochlea, the inner ear organ that helps you detect higher pitches, doesn’t perform as well.
If you’ve noticed some difficulty in understanding children’s or women’s voices, take note of any further changes in your hearing. Although it might be subtle at first, this is a common early indicator.
2. Struggling with background noise
As your cochlea becomes unable able to detect high-pitched sounds, you may find it more and more challenging to follow a conversation.
When you have trouble hearing high-pitched sounds, such as voices, your brain will instead focus on the ambient sounds around you. If you’re at a crowded place like a mall or large event, you might only be able to concentrate on background noise and struggle to keep up with conversations.
Do you find yourself turning the television or radio volume up more and more? Perhaps people have commented on the loud volume. Because television shows combine a variety of audio effects, your brain might have a hard time separating voices from music and other sounds.
3. Social events take too much out of you
Have you noticed that going to parties or other social outings is taking more and more out of you? When your ears are unable to transmit signals to your brain, you have to focus much harder to fill in the gaps.
If you’re having a conversation with more than one person, just paying attention can become a juggling act. And, at the end of the discussion, you might feel mentally exhausted.
4. Your ears feel clogged
Although our ears can occasionally become clogged with wax, the feeling should be temporary. If you feel like your ears are constantly clogged, it could be an early warning sign that your hearing has diminished.
Start by visiting your doctor to have any excess earwax removed. If your ears still feel clogged, you’ll most likely be referred to an audiologist or hearing specialist.
5. You focus on reading lips rather than eye contact
If you’ve stopped making eye contact during a conversation, and instead started focusing on reading lips, you might not hear as well as you used to.
When you can’t hear someone speaking, your brain will naturally shift its focus to the speaker’s lips. This instinct helps you follow the conversation with less difficulty.
Check yourself for signs of hearing loss
Now that you know about some of the most common signs of hearing loss, it’s time to self assess. If any of these symptoms sound familiar to you, it could be an early warning.
Take action and visit your doctor! Most hearing loss is degenerative, and waiting could allow permanent damage to set in.
If you have questions or concerns about your hearing, let us help. Contact us to schedule a consultation.