Hearing Loss
Hearing loss is one of the most common and easily treatable health problems, affecting 1 in 3 adults over age 60. But because it rarely develops overnight, we often fail to identify its symptoms until it’s already causing stress and pain. Learning about the common signs of hearing loss can help you ensure you don’t wait too long to seek treatment.
Common signs of hearing loss include:
- Experiencing muffled sounds
- Difficulty understanding speech in background noise.
- Missing consonant sounds, such as “ess” or “eff”
- Listening to television, radio, or computer audio at a higher volume than in the past
- Avoiding social situations
- Tinnitus, a ringing or buzzing in your ears
There are emotional signs of hearing loss, as well:
- Irritation, anger and frustration during conversations
- Frequent fatigue or bouts of depression after interaction
- Withdrawal from conversations, with a gradual decline in social attendance
- Expressed loneliness and isolation
- Steadily decreasing job performance
- Appearance of memory loss and lack of desire to try new things
