It’s commonly said that hearing loss is a gradual process. It can be quite subtle for this very reason. Your hearing doesn’t deteriorate in giant leaps but rather in little steps. So if you’re not watching closely, it can be challenging to measure the decrease in your hearing. For this reason, it’s worthwhile to be familiar with the early signs of hearing loss.
Even though it’s hard to spot, treating hearing loss early can help you avoid a wide variety of related conditions, like depression, anxiety, and even dementia. You will also prevent additional deterioration with timely treatment. The best way to ensure treatment is to notice the early warning signs as they are present.
It can be difficult to notice early signs of hearing loss
Early hearing loss has subtle symptoms. It isn’t like you get up one day and, very suddenly, you can’t hear anything quieter than 65 decibels. Instead, the early signs of hearing loss hide themselves in your day-to-day activities.
The human body and brain, you see, are incredibly adaptable. When your hearing begins to fade, your brain can start to compensate, helping you follow conversations or figure out who said what. Likewise, if your left ear begins to fade, maybe your right ear starts to compensate and you unconsciously start tilting your head just a bit.
But there’s only so much compensation that your brain can accomplish.
First indications of age-related hearing loss
If you’re worried that your hearing (or the hearing of a family member) may be failing as a result of age, there are some common signs you can watch out for:
- Increased volume on devices: This sign of hearing loss is perhaps the most well known. It’s classically recognized and mentioned. But it’s also very obvious and trackable. You can be sure that your hearing is beginning to go if you’re always turning the volume up.
- Consonant sounds like “s” and “th” are difficult to differentiate.: There’s something about the wavelength that these sounds vibrate on that can make them especially hard to hear when your ears aren’t at their peak. You should pay particular attention to the “s” and “th” sounds, but other consonant sounds can also become confused.
- A tough time hearing in busy spaces: Picking individual voices in a crowded space is one of the things that the brain is extremely good at. But your brain has increasingly less information to work with as your hearing gets worse. It can quickly become a chore to try to hear what’s going on in a crowded room. If hearing these conversations is harder than it used to be (or you find yourself sitting out of more conversations than you previously did), it’s worth getting your ears examined.
- You’re asking people to repeat themselves frequently: This one shouldn’t come as a huge shock. In most instances, though, you will do this without even realizing that you are doing it at all. Naturally, if you have a hard time hearing something, you will ask people to repeat what they said. When this starts happening more often, it should raise some red flags about your hearing.
You should also watch for these more subtle signs
Some subtle signs of hearing loss seem like they have no connection to your hearing. These signs can be strong indicators that your ears are struggling even though they’re discreet.
- Difficulty concentrating: If your brain is having to devote more energy to hearing, you may have less concentration power available to accomplish your everyday routines. As a result, you might notice some trouble focusing.
- Restless nights: Insomnia is, ironically, a sign of hearing loss. It seems as if it would be easier to fall asleep when it’s quiet, but you go into a chronic state of restless alertness when you’re always straining to hear.
- Frequent headaches: When your hearing starts to decline, your ears are still struggling to hear sounds. They’re working hard. And that sustained strain also strains your brain and can translate into chronic headaches.
It’s a smart plan to get in touch with us for a hearing test if you’re noticing any of these age related signs of hearing loss. Then, we can come up with treatment plans that can safeguard your hearing.
Hearing loss progresses gradually. With the correct knowledge, you can stay ahead of it.
References
https://www.healthyhearing.com/report/46306-Hearing-loss-auditory-deprivation
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hearing-loss/symptoms-causes/syc-20373072
