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5 Hidden Signs of Hearing Loss You Need to Know
It’s incredibly common to see patients who have no idea they’ve been losing their hearing. They just don’t believe hearing loss could be happening to them, even when family members and friends keep telling them to have their hearing tested.
At SLENT, with locations in Mandeville, Slidell, Covington, and Hammond, Louisiana, our otolaryngology specialists can help with diagnosing hearing loss and helping you get fitted with hearing aids if necessary. Here are five hidden signs of hearing loss you need to know.
Hearing loss basics
The most common type of hearing loss is sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). The hairs inside your ears are long and sensitive when you’re younger, easily picking up a wide range of sound frequencies. As you age, these hair cells wear down and slowly lose their ability to detect sound waves at the higher and lower ends of the spectrum.
This happens gradually, and most people don’t even realize what’s going on until they finally get talked into having a hearing test. The longer you go without knowing you have hearing loss, the harder it is to get used to the increased hearing ability hearing aids can provide.
That’s why it’s so important to get regular hearing tests as you get older, and to be aware of these common but hidden signs of gradual hearing loss.
1. Loved ones keep saying, “You’re not listening!”
If you’re finding yourself constantly accused of ignoring people when they’re talking to you, not paying attention, or being absentminded, it might just be that slow hearing loss is causing you to miss when your loved ones are speaking to you.
2. You’ve been mishearing people a lot lately
If someone is talking to you in a very high or low voice, you may only get parts of sentences. This means your brain will try to fill in the gaps. The result can sometimes be funny, sometimes embarrassing. What it really means is that you’re losing certain frequencies.
3. The volume on everything seems like it’s turned down
Every time you walk into the living room, the television seems to have been turned down, and you need to look for the remote. Likewise, it feels like everyone on the other end of the phone is whispering, leaving you mashing that volume button. This is what hearing loss sounds like.
4. You wish life had closed captioning
Hearing loss can mean that the sound around you degrades into an incomprehensible murmur. Following conversations can feel impossible, and you might wonder if you’re zoning out. Nope, it’s just some more sneaky effects of hearing loss.
5. You dislike visiting crowded places
Restaurants, parties, or even large family gatherings are just too much to stand anymore, because everyone talks at once. That’s not getting crabby with age; it’s another example of how impaired hearing can slowly drain the fun out of life without you realizing it.
What to do next
Adults should have a hearing evaluation every three to five years until they reach the age of sixty, and annual exams after that. You should also have a yearly exam if you work at or frequent loud places, like nightclubs or construction sites.
Haven’t had a hearing test in a while? Schedule one while you’re thinking about it. Contact SLENT by calling the location closest to you or visiting our contact page for more options.
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