4 Symptoms of Hearing Loss

In most cases, losing your hearing is a slow process, and you may not realize you are losing your hearing until you can no longer enjoy normal conversations and social activities. If you believe your loved one is beginning to lose their hearing, there are many signs for which to watch. Check out these four symptoms that may indicate hearing loss.

1. Muffled Speech

A lot of people mumble or simply don't speak clearly. However, if your loved one has suddenly started mumbling or speaking in a muffled speech, they may not be able to hear themselves speaking as well as they once could. If you can't hear the words you are speaking, it's hard to pronounce them correctly.

You may also have trouble judging how loudly they are speaking, which can cause muffled speech. However, in some cases, if your loved one can't hear their voice well, they may speak louder than normal without realizing it.

2. Trouble Hearing in Noisy Situations

Most people can go to a busy, noisy mall and easily have a private conversation with their friend or loved one without struggling to hear over the crowd. One of the first signs of hearing loss, however, is an inability to separate the conversation from the noisy environment. Separating the noises is complex process that requires good hearing in both ears, and those with hearing loss may have trouble.

Modern science cannot repair the damaged cells, but you can take steps to reduce future damage. Start by avoiding noises over 40 to 60 decibels (an average conversation). Noises that are above 60 decibels can include music from headphones, loud settings on smartphones, etc. There are hearing aid devices that can help drown out background noise, so you can focus on the conversation at hand.

3. Struggling to Hear Consonants

If your loved one struggles to hear consonants, they may have high-frequency hearing loss. This makes it hard to hear some consonants like S, H, and F because of their higher pitch. Your loved one may particularly struggle to understand what women and children are saying because their voices tend to have a higher pitch than an adult male.

A lot of people with high-pitched hearing loss claim they can actually hear what the other person is saying, but they can't understand what is being said. Two of the leading causes of this type of hearing loss are age and noise, such as listening to music through headphones at high levels. Other causes include genetics, certain medications, and some diseases.

4. Withdrawal From Social Settings

The frustration of not being able to hear or understand conversations can change your loved one's mood, causing them to become angry or depressed. In many cases, the person will also begin to avoid social settings because instead of having fun, they are struggling to hear and understand the most basic conversation.

Of course, this withdrawal only worsens your loved one's mood, and it may even cause them to feel lonely, which can be detrimental to anyone's mental health, especially seniors. As their mental health continues to decline, they may begin to isolate themselves even more due to depression and anxiety, creating a downward spiral.

Hearing loss is common, especially as you get older, but it isn't always immediately obvious because most people lose their hearing over a period of time. Even if your loved one doesn't think they are going deaf, look for signs to determine what's really going on inside those ears.

For more information or to seek treatment for hearing loss for your loved one, contact us at Accurate Hearing Technology Inc. today.