Key Indicators of Hearing Loss

Most people mistakenly believe that hearing damage is easy to recognize when, in fact, the warning signs can be somewhat ambiguous and indicative of a variety of issues.

Likewise, the issue is a typical problem that arises from a variety of different causes, including sound, illness, maturing, and even heredity. As such, it’s important to know what to look for as well as the general capacity of the condition to better recognize the onset of hearing loss for yourself or someone you love.

Hearing problems only occurring in certain situations is one of the biggest reasons hearing loss is misidentified or ill-recognized by affected individuals. In fact, many people actually explain away their symptoms because they can hear well under certain circumstances, making it easy to blame external factors. Individuals often attribute poor hearing to things such as someone not talking loud enough or there being too much background sound in the room. Likewise, the condition develops over time, which also complicates detection of the development and progression of hearing issues.

Common Indicators of Hearing Issues

While it is simply easier to shrug off any signs of hearing damage and explain it away, it’s really best to be honest with yourself and conscious of the typical indicators of hearing issues to better detect there onset. Some of the early warning signs include:

• Constant ringing in the auricle canal. – This symptoms can actually be an indicator of a permanent hearing issue known as tinnitus.
• Inability to hear normal every day or household sounds. – Hearing damage can make hearing every day sounds, such as the telephone or oven timer, difficult.
• Trouble combating background noise. – As hearing loss progresses, hearing important information and conversations over the din of background noise can become challenging. Fortunately technology is being developed today that enables hearing aids to combat background noise to make hearing more effective.
• Understanding technology and other media. – The ability to perceive television or phone conversations better than personal conversations is a big red flag or warning sign that an issue may be developing.
• Utilizing lip reading. – Becoming dependent on lip reading or being able to see the person to whom you are talking in addition to other non-verbal communication to understand every day talking is another key indicator that hearing loss is a concern. A good test is to see if you have the capacity to follow a conversation when your back is toward the speaker.

Factors That Impact Hearing Damage

Hearing is a complicated sense as it involves both the ears’ capacity to distinguish sounds as well as the brain’s ability to comprehend such sounds, including those of language. That being said, a variety of factors regulate how significantly loss of hearing will negatively impact an affected individual’s life. Important factors to consider include:

• The extent of the impairment itself
• The general progression of loss of hearing – pitches or different frequencies
• The multitude to which the ears are effected – one or both
• The precise areas or components of the aural structure that are not functioning properly
• The capacity to apprehend speech sounds
• The past contact to environmental or drug-related factors, including noise, that impact hearing

In addition to these factors, age is also another important consideration. While hearing damage can impact anyone, it is among the most typical issues facing aging adults. Roughly 17 percent of the adult population of America reports some amount of hearing issue. In fact, there is a distinct relationship concerning age and hearing damage, as nearly 18 percent of adult Americans age 45-64, 30 percent of those 65-74, and 47 percent of individuals over 75, have an identified hearing issue.

It is quite common for individuals to avoid admitting that they are struggling with a hearing issue. In fact, individuals who are experiencing an issue may remove themselves or even become depressed because they are upset or even embarrassed by their inability to hear and understand every day conversation.

In any case, it is important to realize that auditory problems that are not addressed can worsen. So if you or someone you love is having an issue with auditory communication, getting help should be a first step. There are several different assistive technologies and treatments that address hearing concerns and improve one’s overall