One out of every five American adults suffers from hearing loss; however, many of them don?t seek treatment. This is because our bodies grow accustomed to the gradual loss of our senses, so we often fail to notice when it?s happening. Here are four signs that you are losing your ability to hear.
- It is difficult for you to follow conversations in large groups
Do you have trouble keeping up in conversation in busy restaurants or crowded rooms? You may find yourself tuning in and out of a conversation when there is too much background noise or too many people are speaking at once. In these kinds of situations, a person with hearing loss may have trouble distinguishing between sounds and noises. Hearing aids and assistive listening devices can help make the important sounds more vivid and help you ignore background noise. - You can?t tell where sounds are coming from
Hearing out of both ears gives sound more dimension just like seeing with both eyes helps you determine distance. If you have hearing loss in just one ear, your perception of sound may become skewed, causing you to mistakenly assume that all sounds are coming from your dominant side. Fortunately, hearing aids can help you regain your balance and restore your perception of sound. - People are always asking you to turn the volume down
You?re watching TV and the volume seems perfect, but others in the room say that it?s way too loud. That is because you are not hearing the sound at its true volume. If the music or television is at a comfortable volume for friends or family but you are straining to hear, it might be time to consider hearing aids. - You suffer from ringing ears
Ringing in the ears is a condition called tinnitus, and it affects about 50 million Americans. Though you may not notice it all the time, the ringing can become very annoying and distracting. Tinnitus is sometimes related to separate health issues and a hearing test can help determine if the ringing stems from an internal auditory problem or something else entirely.
If you have noticed any of the signs listed above, talk to your doctor about your options. Hearing loss is extremely common and entirely preventable or treatable. You don?t have to feel alone in your silence.
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