Have your friends or loved ones been encouraging you to get your hearing tested? If so, there’s likely a good reason … or even more than one.
The trouble is, others may recognize your hearing loss before you do. While that may seem annoying, or even none of their business, it’s important to remember that they care about you and have your best interests at heart.
The good news is that it’s not difficult to recognize hearing loss and there IS something you can do about it. You just have to know the common signs and be willing to ask for help.
You Should Get Your Hearing Tested If …
- You find it troublesome to hear on the telephone. If you keep thinking you have a ‘bad connection’ or that others aren’t speaking up properly on a phone call, the problem could actually be with your hearing.
- You have difficulty following multi-person conversations. It can be difficult for anyone to understand a conversation when everyone’s talking at once. But, it shouldn’t be a regular occurrence, especially if there are only two or three people in the conversation.
- Others complain that you’ve turned the volume up too high. When you have to consistently turn up the volume on the radio or TV just to be able to hear your favorite show, it’s time to stop and consider that your hearing could be the issue.
- Understanding conversation is a strain. Do you have to tilt your ear toward someone speaking? Or, sit forward on the edge of your seat to make sure you don’t miss a word? You shouldn’t have to strain to hear … if you do, you could have hearing loss.
- You find it challenging to discern different sounds in noisy places. This could include understanding what your dinner companions are talking about when you eat out at a busy restaurant. Or, perhaps you can’t hear the dog barking over the grandchildren playing at Christmas time.
Getting Your Hearing Tested Is Also a Good Idea If …
- You often have to ask others to repeat what they’ve said. What did you say? Can you repeat that? These are common phrases in the vocabulary of people with hearing loss!
- Others around you sound like they’re mumbling or speaking quietly. Sure, some people really DO mumble, especially if they’re not wanting to be heard. But, when you think everyone is mumbling, or it happens on a regular occasion, it’s time to get your hearing tested.
- You find yourself misunderstanding verbal cues. A good chunk of effective communication is understanding what’s been said. When you do the wrong thing, or take something the wrong way simply because you didn’t hear well, a lot of unexpected things can happen!
- It’s difficult to hear high-pitched voices. Hearing loss often starts with losing the ability to hear high frequency sounds like women’s and children’s voices. Getting your hearing tested could show you the exact range and severity of your hearing loss.
- People are often annoyed that you didn’t understand them correctly. Misunderstanding someone once in a while is no big deal and it happens to everyone. When it’s a daily occurrence, however, your friends and loved ones are sure to get annoyed and may even let it show!
Recognizing Hearing Loss Is Easier Than You Think
The signs of hearing loss are easy to see once you know what they are. Recognizing that there is, in fact, a problem is the first step, but don’t stop there! Now, it’s time to DO something about it.
If you suspect that your hearing has changed, schedule an appointment to get your hearing tested as soon as possible. The earlier you seek help and get appropriate treatment, the less hearing loss will affect your everyday life.
Simply give us a call to schedule an appointment with one of our friendly audiologists today and start on your journey toward better hearing!
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Source: Hear Well-Live Well Blog
