Sound familiar? If you think you may have hearing loss, you are certainly not alone. In the United States, hearing loss afflicts over 33% of people over age 60. But, it’s not just an “older” person problem. More than 20% of the population over age 12 suffers from some degree of hearing loss, and 65% of those people are under age 65.
Signs of hearing loss can be subtle and emerge slowly. Early signs of hearing loss can also be significant and come on suddenly. You should suspect hearing loss if you experience any of the following symptoms or signs:
Socially:
- require frequent repetition.
- have difficulty following conversations involving more than two people.
- think that others sound muffled or like they’re mumbling.
- have difficulty hearing in noisy situations, such as restaurants, malls, or crowded spaces.
- experience trouble hearing women and children.
- have your TV or radio turned up to a high volume.
- discover that you respond inappropriately in conversations.
- have ringing in your ears.
- find yourself reading lips or more intently watching people’s faces when they speak with you.
Emotionally:
- feel stressed from straining to hear what others are saying.
- feel annoyed at others you can’t hear or understand.
- feel nervous or embarrassed to meet new people or from misunderstanding others.
- find yourself withdrawing from social situations due to difficulty hearing.
Medically:
- have a family history of hearing loss.
- have diabetes, heart, circulation or thyroid problems.
- have been exposed to loud sounds over an extended period or have experienced a single exposure to explosive noise
- take otoxic medications that can harm the hearing system.