Do You Need a Hearing Test? Here’s What You Should Know

Man with hearing loss trying to hear at the dinner table with his family.

Your last family dinner was discouraging. Not because of any intra-family drama (though there’s always some of that). The problem was the noise, which was making it hard to hear anything. So you weren’t able to have very much enjoyable conversation with any of your family members. The whole experience was extremely aggravating. Mostly, you blame the acoustics. But you can’t completely dismiss the possibility that maybe your hearing is beginning to go bad.

It can be extremely challenging to self-diagnose hearing loss (that’s why, generally, it’s not advisable). But you should pay attention to some early warning signs. When enough of these red flags surface, it’s worth scheduling an appointment to get checked by a hearing specialist.

Early Signs of Hearing Loss

Several of the indications of hearing loss are subtle. But if you happen to find your own experiences reflected in any of the items on the following list, you just might be going through some degree of hearing loss.

Some of the most prevalent early signs of bad hearing may include:

  • You frequently need people to repeat what they said. If you find yourself repeatedly asking people to speak up, repeat what they said, or slow down when they talk, this is especially true. Often, you might not even acknowledge how frequently this is occurring and you might miss this red flag.
  • Someone observes that the volume on your media devices gets louder and louder. Maybe the volume on your phone keeps getting louder and louder. Maybe it’s your TV that’s at full volume. Usually, it’s a friend, neighbor, or a member of your family that makes you recognize the increasing volumes.
  • You notice some ringing in your ears: This ringing, which can also be the sound of thumping, screeching, buzzing, or other noises, is technically named tinnitus. Tinnitus isn’t always related to hearing issues, but it is frequently an early warning sign of hearing loss, so a hearing test is probably in order.
  • Certain sounds seem so loud that they’re intolerable. It’s one of the more unusual early warning signs linked to hearing loss, but hyperacusis is common enough that you may find yourself encountering its symptoms. If specific sounds become unbearably loud (especially if the issue doesn’t resolve itself in short order), that could be an early hearing loss symptom.
  • You notice it’s hard to understand particular words. When consonants become hard to differentiate this red flag should go up. The th- and sh- sounds are very commonly muffled. It can also often be the p- and t- sounds or the s- and f- sounds
  • High pitched sounds are hard to hear. Maybe you find your teapot has been whistling for five minutes and you didn’t hear it. Or maybe the doorbell rings, and you never detect it. Early hearing loss is normally most recognizable in particular (and often high-pitched) frequencies of sound.
  • Phone calls suddenly seem muffled and difficult to comprehend: People do a lot of texting these days, so you may not take as many phone calls as you used to. But if you’re having problems understanding the phone calls you do get (even with the volume cranked all the way up), you might be facing another red flag for your hearing.
  • You have a hard time following interactions in a crowded or noisy place. This is precisely what happened during the “family dinner” example above, and it’s often an early sign of hearing problems.
  • It’s Time to Get a Hearing Exam

    You still can’t be certain whether you’re confronting hearing loss even if you are experiencing some of these early warning signs. You will need to get a hearing exam to know for sure.

    You may very well be experiencing some level of hearing loss even if you’re only experiencing one of these early warning signs. What level of hearing loss you might be dealing with can only be established with a hearing evaluation. Then it will become more obvious what needs to be done about it.

    This means your next family get together can be a great deal more enjoyable.

    The site information is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. To receive personalized advice or treatment, schedule an appointment.