Spotting the first signs of hearing loss will help minimise any damage and enable you to take action before it’s too late. Hearing loss generally doesn’t happen over night it is a gradual change for most, making the first signs hard to spot, left untreated it can lead to serious problems in life, such as;
- Increased mental load.
- Social isolation and depression.
- Poor balance and fall-related injuries.
- Dementia and Alzheimers disease.
YOUR EARS MAY FEEL BLOCKED OR CLOGGED.
This feeling may be due to a build up of ear wax. This can be easily removed via micro suction or irrigation. This can have other side effects such as muffled hearing, dizziness, tinnitus or just a general feeling of fullness in the ears. If you make an appointment with Lisa, she will be able to assess what is causing the problem and give the appropriate treatment.
YOU ARE TOLD THE TV VOLUME IS TOO LOUD.
If others are telling you your TV is too loud then it may be a sign you have a blockage or a hearing loss. As hearing loss is gradual most people don’t realise they are turning the volume up. Commonly people with hearing loss struggle with television programmes that have a lot of background noise but may hear the news readers much better.
ARE YOU LOOKING AT A PERSONS LIPS WHEN THEY ARE TALKING?
As hearing loss gradually worsens you may think people are mumbling and whether aware of it or not you may be using cues such as lip reading. Conversations are harder to follow making it especially hard at family gatherings or restaurants where lots of people are talking. Having to guess what people are saying and what’s happening increases the mental load on the brain.
LISTENING TAKES MORE EFFORT.
Women and children usually have higher-pitched voices and may seem muffled or you may struggle to pick out what is being said. Higher pitch sounds tend to fade first with hearing loss, birds chirping and even oven timers can be harder to hear.
LISTENING TAKES MORE EFFORT.
Women and children usually have higher-pitched voices and may seem muffled or you may struggle to pick out what is being said. Higher pitch sounds tend to fade first with hearing loss, birds chirping and even oven timers can be harder to hear.
LOUD RINGING IN YOUR EARS.
Noticed a louder ringing in your ears? This is also known as tinnitus, it may be due to hearing loss. As you lose your hearing any tinnitus even mild will sound much louder. Tinnitus therapy and hearing aids can help with this.
WHAT SHOULD I DO IF SUFFERING FROM THE EARLY SIGNS OF HEARING LOSS?
If you are suffering from any of these first signs of hearing loss mentioned above then book a hearing test with Lisa, a qualified Audiologist. She will be able to determine how your hearing fairs and give advice on how best to treat your hearing loss to give you the best quality of life.