6 Signs You Need to get Your Hearing Tested

Do you think you could be experiencing hearing loss? There are a number of symptoms and signs when it comes to hearing loss, but it can be difficult to identify them all yourself. We’ve got the most common six signs you need to get your hearing tested!

1. Asking people to repeat themselves

If you find that you need to ask people to repeat themselves frequently, or if you think people are mumbling, it may mean that you are not hearing as well as you once did. Additionally, if you have problems hearing people when they are not facing you, even in close proximity, this might be an indication of a hearing issue. Many hearing loss sufferers begin to instinctively rely on lip-reading without realizing it.

2. Having difficulty understanding women or children

When you begin to lose your hearing, higher frequency sounds are the first to go, like those of women and children. While this may seem like an isolated issue, it can be a larger sign of hearing loss.

3. Turning the volume up increasingly higher

Do you need to turn the volume on the television up to a higher setting than you once did? If other people often remark that the sound is uncomfortably loud while it feels normal to you, may want to consider a hearing test.

4. Difficulty following group conversations

You may find group conversations much harder to follow than one-on-one conversations where the other speaker has your undivided attention. This often becomes an issue very gradually. If it affects you, you may find that you simply ‘tune out’ in social situations more often. Do you find yourself daydreaming while others around you are talking? When you develop hearing loss it can be difficult to sort out all the different sounds in a group setting.

5. Trouble hearing over the telephone

Hearing loss sufferers often find their impairment affects them the most when speaking over the phone. This is because we have none of the visual cues that help us decipher what a person is saying when talking on the phone, and have to rely only on what we can hear. If you find yourself asking the person on the telephone to repeat themselves or you prefer texting because you don’t have to strain to hear, you might need to schedule a visit with an audiologist.

6. Depression, anxiety or social withdrawal

Hearing loss can be a very isolating experience. You may find yourself suffering from social anxiety or unwillingness to join group activities. If this is not something you have always experienced, it could be as a result of your increasing difficulty hearing and relating to other people. Hearing is key to effective communication and without it, our overall sense of well-being and happiness can suffer.

If you find yourself experiencing one or more of these six signs of hearing loss, schedule an appointment with an audiologist in your area today. While you may only have a mild hearing loss, it’s important to catch it in the early stages.