Bananas don’t taste the same as they once did. There are rather different varieties of bananas being grown nowadays by banana farmers. Today’s banana can develop successfully in a wide variety of climates, are more resilient, and can develop faster. They don’t taste the same either. So how did this swap take place without us detecting it? Well, the change wasn’t a rapid one. The change was so slow you never noticed.
Hearing loss can happen in a similar way. It isn’t like all of a sudden your hearing is entirely gone. For the majority of people, hearing loss advances gradually, frequently so slowly that you don’t really realize what’s happening.
Early treatment can really help preserve your hearing so that’s an unfortunate truth. If you know that your hearing is at risk, for instance, you may take more precautions to protect it. So it’s a good plan to keep an eye out for these seven signs of diminishing hearing.
You should get your hearing evaluated if you exhibit any of these 7 signs
Hearing loss isn’t always well understood as it develops gradually over time. It isn’t like you’ll go to a noisy rock concert and the next day find yourself completely unable to hear. Repeated exposure to loud sound over a long period of time gradually leads to noticeable hearing loss. The earlier you deal with your hearing loss, the better off you’ll be. You don’t want to put off on this because neglected hearing loss has been connected to issues like social isolation, depression, and dementia.
These seven indicators are what you should be paying attention to out for. The only way to know for certain is to get a hearing assessment, but these indicators might encourage you to make an appointment earlier than you otherwise would have.
Sign #1: You keep turning up the volume on your devices
Do you find yourself frequently reaching for the volume controls? Maybe they’re mixing the sound on your favorite shows differently now, or your favorite actors have started to mumble. But it’s more likely that you’re compensating for your increasing hearing loss by cranking the volume up on your devices.
This is particularly the situation if your family has also regularly been telling you that the TV is too loud. They can usually notice hearing issues in you faster than you can.
Sign #2: You missed the doorbell (or a phone call)
It could be a sign that you’re having hearing issues if you are constantly missing everyday sounds. Some of the most common sounds you might miss include:
- Your doorbell (or a knock on the door): When your good friend abruptly walks into your house, consider the possibility that they did actually knock, you just missed it.
- Alarms and timers: Did you burn dinner or sleep or sleep through your alarm clock? It might not be your alarm’s fault.
- Your phone: Are you missing text messages? No one calls nowadays, so you’re more likely to miss a text message than a phone call.
You’re missing essential sounds while driving, like honking horns or trucks beeping while backing up, and your family and friends are becoming afraid to drive with you.
Sign #3: You keep needing people to repeat what they said
Are your most frequently used words “what?” or “pardon?”? If you’re always needing people to repeat themselves, it’s very, very possible it’s not because of them, it’s because of you (and your hearing). This is particularly relevant if people do repeat what they said and you still don’t hear what they’re saying. Most likely, time to get a hearing exam.
Sign #4: It sounds like everyone’s always mumbling
This one goes pretty well with #3 and we might even call it #3-A. You should know that people most likely aren’t mumbling or talking about you under their breath even if your hearing loss is making it seem like this. It’s stressful to always think people are mumbling about you, so it may be a comfort to find out they’re actually not. The truth is that you’re simply not hearing them because of your loss of hearing.
This can be especially pronounced if you’re trying to listen to somebody who has a higher pitched voice, or if you have to have a conversation in a noisy space, such as a restaurant.
Sign #5: Family members encourage you to get a hearing assessment (or invest in hearing aids)
You most likely have a rather close relationship with your family and friends. And some of them most likely have healthy hearing. It’s a good idea to pay attention to your family members (particularly the younger ones) if they are telling you something’s up with your hearing.
It’s understandable that you would want to rationalize away this advice. Possibly you tell yourself it was just a bad day or whatever. But you could do your hearing a favor by taking their advice.
Sign #6: Your ears are ringing or you’re experiencing balance issues
When you’re experiencing ringing in your ears, you’re dealing with a condition known as tinnitus. It’s incredibly common. When you’re dealing with hearing loss, your tinnitus can become extreme for a couple of reasons:
- Damage can trigger both: Damage causes both tinnitus and loss of hearing. So the more damaged your hearing system is, the more likely you are to develop both hearing loss and tinnitus.
- Hearing loss can make tinnitus more pronounced: Tinnitus can be drowned-out by everyday noises in your day-to-day life. But as hearing loss makes those background sounds quieter, tinnitus symptoms come to the front.
In either case, if you’re going through loud ringing, or even dizziness and vertigo, it could be an indication that something is happening in your ears. And that means (no surprise here), yes, you need to come see us for an exam.
Sign #7: Socializing leaves you feeling depleted
Maybe you’ve always been an introvert at heart, and that’s why social interactions have become completely exhausting. Or perhaps, and just hear us out here (again with the puns), your hearing isn’t what it used to be.
Your hearing could be the reason why you feel wiped out after leaving a restaurant or social event. When there are gaps in what you hear, your brain tries really hard to fill in those holes. This is fatiguing (no matter how good your brain is), especially over the long run. So you may experience even more fatigue when you’re in a particularly noisy setting.
The first step is getting in touch with us for an appointment
Honestly, hearing damage is normal to everybody to some level. If or when you develop hearing loss is heavily dependent on how well you protect your ears when you’re exposed to loud noise.
So if you’ve encountered any of these signs, it’s an indication that the banana is changing. Thankfully, there’s something you can do about it: come in and get tested! The sooner your hearing loss is diagnosed, the sooner you’ll be able to receive treatment.
