Five Signs You May Need a Hearing Aid
According to the Australian Network on Disability, 1 in 6 Australians are affected by hearing loss. Hearing loss can creep up on people with a decline so gradual its increments are difficult to recognise. Being aware of hearing loss and being fitted with the appropriate hearing aids can drastically improve the quality of life of someone with difficulty hearing. To help you recognise hearing loss, here are five signs that could signal that you may be in need of a hearing aid.
You Have Difficulty Following a Conversation in Noisy Environments:
When suffering from hearing loss, it can be difficult to follow conversations that take place somewhere where there is a significant amount of background noise. Struggling to converse — either one-on-one or in a group — in places such as parties or restaurants is a sign that you may need a hearing aid. However, this warning sign is not limited to situations where the background noise is that of people talking; people who are in need of hearing aids often also struggle to follow conversations in places such as planes or cars.
Other People Complain the Volume on the Television Is too Loud:
If visitors or the people you live with frequently comment on the volume at which you watch television, this is a good indicator that it could be time to get your hearing checked. Although this is a stereotype typically associated with older generations, this is a good signal to watch for in younger people who may have hearing damage caused by prolonged exposure to loud music.
It Sounds Like People Are Always Mumbling:
When suffering from hearing loss, people around you can often sound like they're mumbling. This occurs because, as hearing deteriorates, the ear's ability to pick up the full range of frequencies diminishes. Another signal of this happening is having particular difficulty hearing children or women speak, as our ability to hear higher frequencies tends to suffer first. For people who suffer with these issues, hearing aids are often able to easily correct the problem, making the world sound clear again.
You Have Difficulty Hearing People on the Telephone:
For people in need of hearing aids, one of the first signs of hearing loss is often having difficulty understanding what someone is saying on the other end of the phone. This happens because, as our hearing begins to suffer, we unknowingly become increasingly reliant on non-verbal cues — such as lip reading and body language — in order to follow a conversation. If you have to turn the call volume up to the maximum level or have difficulty hearing someone when there is background noise on their end of the line, it might be worth booking a hearing test to see if a hearing aid could be of assistance to you.
You Find Yourself Frequently Saying 'Pardon?' or 'What Was That?':
It is common to not catch what someone says, particularly when there is a lot of background noise or multiple people are talking at once. However, if you find yourself frequently using these phrases, it could be that your hearing is beginning to suffer and that a hearing aid could possibly help you.
With a wide range of discreet and easy-to-fit hearing aids now available, putting up with hearing loss in no longer an inevitable part of getting older. If you recognise any of these signs of hearing loss, be sure to get your hearing checked as soon as possible.
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