Hearing loss is a common condition among older adults. Across the globe, nearly 20 percent of people live with hearing loss, and over 30 percent of people over the age of 60 experience some degree of the condition.
Age is one of the most common causes of hearing loss, although hearing loss can also be the result of exposure to loud noise, either acutely or over an extended period of time.
With some exceptions, including hearing loss caused by wax buildup, hearing loss is not reversible. However, there are ways to treat the hearing loss.
Hearing aids are assistive devices that amplify the sound around the wearer and enhance frequencies that the wearer struggles to hear. Usually, these are the frequencies at which people speak.
Audiology clinics such as Toronto Hearing Consultants will test your hearing and match you with the right hearing aids for your specific type and degree of hearing loss.
If you experience any of these warning signs or symptoms of hearing loss, get your hearing tested. Using a hearing aid will restore your confidence in social situations, at work, and at home with family.
Early Warning Signs of Age-Related Hearing Loss
Trouble Following Conversations: One of the earliest warning signs that you may have hearing loss is difficulty keeping up with conversations, especially group conversations or conversations in places with background noise, such as a restaurant playing music.
Difficulty Hearing Phone Conversations: Phone conversations should be crystal clear most of the time. If you struggle to hear them, whether you’re somewhere quiet or noisy, it should be cause for concern.
People Sound Like They Are Mumbling: While there are people you will meet who speak quietly, if you find yourself frequently asking people to repeat themselves, the issue is more likely to be your own hearing.
Struggling to Identify the Source of Sounds: Another early warning sign is struggling to identify where a sound comes from.
The Volume on Your TV Is Getting Louder: Hearing loss is a progressive condition, meaning it gets worse over time. If you find yourself setting the volume on your TV higher over time, your hearing may be getting worse.
Signs of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss
Not all hearing loss is age-related. The condition can also be caused by exposure to noise, such as noises experienced at the workplace. Noise-induced hearing loss can also be the result of a single incident involving an acutely loud noise. Signs of noise-induced hearing loss include:
- Experiencing speech and sound as muffled.
- Having difficulty understanding conversations in person or over the phone.
- Regularly asking others to repeat themselves.
- Tinnitus or ringing in your ears.
- Finding that certain sounds are painful.
- Difficulty hearing high-pitched sounds.
Signs of Profound Hearing Loss
Profound hearing loss is a condition that necessitates the use of hearing aids. If you have profound hearing loss, you cannot hear other people speaking unless they are extremely loud.
Hearing aids help you adapt to all kinds of hearing loss. Get your hearing tested if you experience any of the above signs of hearing loss.