More than 48 million Americans have hearing loss, but only 20% seek help. If you are unsure if your hearing loss warrants treatment, we have outlined five key signs that it is time to get a hearing test to start the journey toward better hearing.
1. You Find It Difficult to Follow the Conversation
Those with hearing loss can usually get by with visual cues, such as lip reading and watching facial expressions. With the mask mandates over the past year, these cues have been eliminated. If you find you are having a hard time following conversations when all you have to rely on is your sense of hearing, this is a sign you may have hearing loss.
2. You Constantly Think Others Are Mumbling
High-frequency sounds, including consonant sounds, are usually the first to go. This leaves you with mostly vowels, which can sound like someone is mumbling. If you’ve been able to understand your loved ones before, this is a good indication that your hearing has gotten worse.
3. You Can’t Hear in a Crowded Room
Carrying on a conversation in a crowded restaurant or bar, such as Bluegrass Tavern on a Saturday evening can be challenging for anyone. Those with hearing loss have a hard time blocking out or ignoring unwanted noise. Being part of the conversation is hard when you are struggling to distinguish speech from background noise.
4. You Turn the Television Up too Loud
Following your favorite program can be difficult when important dialogue is mixed in with loud background noises and musical scores. While turning up the volume may seem like a good solution at the time, it is common for those with hearing loss to turn it up to an uncomfortably loud degree, hurting the ears of those they live with.
5. You Have a Hard Time Remembering
When you are struggling to hear what someone is saying, this can impact your short-term memory. A 2019 study found that almost 40% of adults with hearing loss over the age of 65 said they had memory loss, compared to only 5.2% of those without hearing loss.
If any of these signs sound familiar, now is the time to do something about your hearing loss. Contact The Hearing & Speech Center today to schedule an appointment for a hearing exam.
