Hearing loss affects more than one in every 10 people in the United States. Despite how common the condition is, its gradual onset with age means many people don’t realize they have it.
Let’s look at a few signs of hearing loss; if any sound familiar, it may be time for a hearing test.
1. You Turn the Volume up on Your TV
It’s easy to turn the volume up one notch at a time without noticing. If you find that the volume level is unusually high, or if other people find that it’s uncomfortably loud, you might need a hearing test.
2. You Skip Social Events
Many people with hearing loss pull away socially because they feel like they can’t keep up. If you recently started skipping social events you used to enjoy, ask yourself why. If you simply want a little time alone, that’s great! However, if you’re skipping events because you’re struggling to understand others, it’s possible you have hearing loss.
3. You Feel Excessively Tired
Listening fatigue is a common issue for people with hearing loss. The fatigue arises because the brain is working harder to process speech. Compare speech comprehension to exercise; when you don’t have trouble with an exercise, it’s not as likely to tire you out; if the exercise starts to feel harder, like you’re adding ten-pound weights to a run around Bienville Square, you’ll finish feeling exhausted.
The next time you feel tired, think about how much communication you had to do that day. For example, if you’re exhausted after a day of meetings, it’s possible that hearing loss is weighing on your energy levels.
4. You Notice a Ringing in the Ears
Approximately 90% of tinnitus cases have an underlying hearing loss. You might have experienced temporary tinnitus in the past, often when you’re exposed to loud noise, such as after a concert at Soul Kitchen Music Hall, but persistent tinnitus warrants a hearing test.
5. You Can’t Understand Children
Children typically have higher-pitched voices than adults. Because hearing loss tends to affect high-frequency sounds first, you may notice that children’s voices are the first to fade. If you’re having trouble understanding your grandkids, hearing loss could be the culprit.
If any of the above signs sound familiar, don’t wait to seek help. Schedule a hearing test with Premier Medical Group today.