As with most medical conditions, the sooner you notice you’ve got a problem with your hearing, the better. But in the early stages of a condition, it’s often hard to tell that anything’s wrong. We’ve all known people who’ve found out that they’ve got heart disease, right at the last minute.
The same goes for hearing loss. To begin with, hearing loss is subtle, and people often chalk it up to other factors. But over time, if left untreated, it can get progressively worse. That’s why it’s important to keep an eye out for the warning signs that there might be something wrong with your hearing.
1. You Become Frustrated During Conversations
Not being able to hear half of what somebody is saying can be frustrating when you’re trying to have a productive conversation. Some people chalk it up to the other person not talking loudly enough. But in some situations, it could actually be because of hearing loss. Feeling frustrated is entirely understandable, given the circumstances. But blaming it on other people won’t help solve the problem if it resides in your ears.
Start off by being honest with yourself. Think about whether it’s plausible that everybody else is speaking more softly or whether your hearing might be deteriorating. Sometimes it can be hard to accept that one’s own body isn’t performing optimally, but it’s necessary if you are going to solve the problem.
2. You Don’t Understand What People Say
Another common sign of hearing loss is misunderstanding what people say. The questions “Do you want to go to the park?” could be interpreted by your brain as “Do you get scared in the dark?” These misunderstanding can be comical sometimes, but they soon become frustrating if they’re happening all the time.
The reason misunderstandings happen a lot when a person is losing their hearing is more nuanced than you might think. While it’s true that the hearing apparatus in their ears aren’t functioning like they once did, this isn’t the main reason why misunderstandings come about. The main reason is that the brain misinterprets the weak signals it gets and tries to find a pattern using the limited data it has. The brain is desperate to derive meaning from conversations, even if the final interpretation ends up being gobbledegook.
3. You Find Yourself Saying “What” All The Time
Not being able to hear what somebody is mumbling over the other side of the room is normal. Our ears are only so sensitive, even when they are working well.
If you’re standing right next to somebody, but find yourself saying what all the time, you might have a problem. Saying what all of the time means that your brain isn’t getting enough information to extract meaning from what is being said. Without that information, you have to ask for it again, which can be frustrating for the people you’re talking to. Keep tabs on how many times you’re saying what.
If the problem persists, you might need a hearing aid. Visit https://www.kingsandia.com for more information on the type that would be suitable for you. Hearing aids work by amplifying the sounds reaching your eardrum.
4. You Can’t Hear People In Noisy Environments
Suppose for instance you’ve gone out to dinner with your spouse. When you’re at home, you can hear them loud and clear. But now that you’re in a restaurant, suddenly all the background noise is preventing you from hearing what they’re saying. One of the signs of early hearing loss is not being able to distinguish individual sounds in a cacophony. The reason for this, according to http://home.bt.com/lifestyle, is that the brain isn’t getting enough information. Usually, people are really good at honing in on a particular sound pattern in a noisy room. But when your ability to pick up those sound waves diminishes, you find it more difficult to tell what that person is saying. If you find this happening often, it might be time to approach health professionals.
5. You Feel Tired After Conversations
Unless you’re in a business meeting, conversations should feel pleasant and natural. Talking shouldn’t make you feel tired. But if you’re in the early stages of hearing loss, it can wear you out. The reason for this is because of the effort that goes into working out what people are actually saying to you. Because your ears are only sending a fraction of the signal to your brain, your brain is working overtime to make sense of it all. When you lose your hearing, you have to infer meaning in what people are saying. In other words, you have to use your contextual knowledge to come up with ideas about what might have been said and then respond to that. Not only is this method inaccurate, but it’s also very demanding. Just a simple conversations with a family member about what you want to have for dinner can be a massive effort.
6. Your Neighbours Complain About Your TV
As you start to lose your hearing, you’ll naturally increase the volume on your TV and radio to compensate. At first, nobody will notice. But as you keep ratcheting the volume higher, the neighbors will start to complain, especially if you live in shared accommodation.
If your neighbors come around and complain about the noise, thank them. They just informed you that you might have a hearing problem and that you need to go and see a professional.
7. You Can’t Hear The Telephone
Telephones, especially those of the old landline variety, have sharp, piercing ring tones. That’s deliberate, of course. Phone manufacturers want them to be heard. But sometimes, when people are losing their hearing they miss phone calls.
Other people find that they keep missing calls on their cell phone because they can’t hear the ringtone. Just like with their TVs, they keep pushing the volume up higher and higher to compensate. If you find yourself doing this, stop and think. Perhaps you need to get your ears checked.