Permanent hearing loss happens when the nerves of the inner ear get damaged and fail to effectively transmit their signals to the brain. People suffering from this condition often complain that they can hear but don’t understand.
Old age is largely attributed to sensorial hearing loss. As people get older, their sensory nerve cells begin to wear out.
However, being able to identify the problem early can help doctors to assist in managing it for some time.
1. Being unable to follow conversations in a noisy place
This is one of the major signs that you could be having a hearing loss problem. The ability to process several completing and incoming calls fade with time. But being lost in the middle of a conversation doesn’t necessarily mean you have a hearing loss problem.
However, if you experience this problem more often, then it could be a clear sign that you have a hearing loss problem. For example, while seated at the same table with family members and you keep asking them to repeat what they just said.
2. You can’t hear people on the telephone
Landline and mobile phones are all installed with settings to control volume – so that people don’t have problems listening to the person on the other end. If you can’t hear someone properly, the best thing is to adjust the volume settings.
Nonetheless, if you find yourself adjusting the volume setting more often, then it could be an indication of an issue with your hearing loss.
Ensure that you also check to see if the cell phone has any other problem before you decide to see a doctor.
3. Exhaustion after a social event
If you are unable to hear what people are saying, your brain is forced to work harder to try and make sense of the sounds you are getting. That means you will have to struggle to maintain focus, particularly if there are more than two speakers.
All those efforts will definitely leave you tired and blue after a social event. If you have had such an experience, it would be good to talk to an audiologist or doctor. He or she can recommend medical hearing aids to stop you from straining.
4. Misunderstanding what other people are saying
This is also a common sign that someone may be having a hearing loss problem. You find yourself interpreting information differently. For example, someone may say “John come and see the fog”. Instead of doing what you are being told, you might end up confronting your friend for telling you to go and eat a frog.
Although there are situations where the other person might have not sounded audible enough, persistent misinterpretation of what other people are saying should ring a bell and prompt for a medical checkup.
5. When people frequently complain that the volume of your radio is too loud
Following up TV programs can be straining, especially if you can’t hear the sound properly. It is true that some TV sets do not have proper volume settings and can make it difficult to follow what the characters or speakers are saying.
But if you constantly find yourself asking for the sound to be adjusted or if neighbors and family members complain that the volume of your TV is too high, then it could be a sign that you have a hearing loss problem.
6. The voices of children are unclear or muffled
When a person gets older, the inside organ responsible for hearing, cochlea together with the cells that detect high pitched sounds are normally the first ones to wear out.
This makes it almost impossible to hear any person with a sharp voice such as children and women. It is also one of the reasons why some people may not hear the beeping sound of a microwave.
In a nutshell, hearing loss is a problem that anyone can experience. It is important to watch over any of the above signs to address the problem early.
