Hearing loss is a very common phenomenon. A lot of people suffer from it. In this article, we will take a look at some signs that point to a loss of hearing abilities.
As we get older, it is only natural that we will also experience changes in our ability to hear. But just as our hair does not all turn gray at once, loss of hearing also takes place over a period of time and does not happen just instantly all of a sudden. Taking the graying example a bit further, just think about how the first strands of silver hair appear (in fact, in the beginning, it may only be visible under certain lighting conditions). Loss of hearing due to age is almost equally as subtle. If your hearing gets damaged, you’ll need to get a hearing aid.
It is important to note that it is crucial to pay close attention to these emerging signs. If hearing loss goes unnoticed and untreated, the quality of life of the person suffering from it will drastically decline. They will be more likely to be depressed, get feelings of isolation, and also develop problems with their memory later on in life. If even one of the symptoms mentioned applies to you, please consult with your doctor or your audiologist ASAP and get a hearing test.
The voices of children seem unclear and also muffled
As the process of aging is underway it takes a significant amount of toll on the cochlea of the person. This is the inner organ of the ear that helps you with hearing. As you age, the cells which can detect sounds that are high-pitched, normally are the first that fails. What this does, as a result, is that it makes it very difficult to comprehend anyone who has a high-pitched voice, for example, women and children. This is also probably the reason you may not be able to hear the beep of the microwave or be able to hear the crickets that chirp at sunset.
It becomes difficult to follow conversations in places that have a lot of noise
This is quite an interesting phenomenon. The noises that are generally present in public places are low-pitched sounds generally but the many letters that we utilize when speaking, are high pitched. People who have problems with hearing higher-pitched sounds will find this sort of situation particularly challenging to follow a conversation in. Other changes due to age and how our brains translate sound may also potentially make it a lot harder to ignore the noises in the background.
Social events exhaust you
In social settings, if you are not able to recognize the sounds of the speech in a conversation, your brain is then tasked with the responsibility of making sense of what the other people in the conversation are saying. This particular task requires you to pay a lot of attention and especially so when there are multiple people speaking at the same time. This is the reason why people with bad hearing feel so drained after a social gathering or event. If what we just stated above, applies to your particular situation, then it is highly recommended that you consult your doctor or your audiologist as soon as you possibly can.
Focusing on the lips and avoiding making eye contact
If one sense of a person is not working at optimum capacity or is, in fact, damage to a degree, the natural response of the body is to accentuate the other senses of the person and in this particular case, it is the eyesight that gets amplified. If you try, you can see that by paying close attention to the lips of a person, you can figure out when they are saying “f” or when they are saying “p”. So, in essence, you can “see” the sounds but you are unable to hear them. This is what leads to people with poor hearing to pay attention to the lips of the person they are speaking with rather than maintaining proper eye contact.
Losing the ability to hear really is quite detrimental to the well being and the quality of life of the people who suffer from it. This is especially true and much more worrisome if you happen to be someone who relies on their hearing ability to make a living, such as a musician. The good news, however, is that there are ways to deal with these issues and if you notice any of the above-mentioned symptoms, make sure you consult with your doctor and get a hearing test immediately.
