Hearing loss is no longer solely a concern for the elderly; more and more young individuals are experiencing hearing loss. Bacterial ear infections and their consequences were once the main causes of hearing loss, which lead to complete deafness, while today’s lifestyle leads to various metabolic and toxic hearing impairments, associated with the general aging of the population, exposure to stress, noise, and hereditary factors.
The World Health Organization (WHO) warns that 50% of people aged 13 to 50 can develop hearing problems due to loud noise. So, if you are a person who turns the volume up to the maximum on their headphones while listening to your favorite song, maybe it’s time to reconsider that move.
1. It buzzes in your ears
Did it ever happen to you that everything around you is quiet, and you hear buzzing in the background?! If this happens regularly, or perhaps frequently, there’s a risk that the ear nerve has been injured. At first, it may seem like it’s nothing, just like buzzing background noise, but if you notice it’s happening often, then you should consider visiting a doctor.
2. You lose your balance
If you have noticed that you often lose your balance, it may not be your clumsiness, but it could be a more serious symptom. You may think that you just had a headrush, but you should think twice. The inner ear contains the hearing and balancing organs, and if there is any damage done to the inner ear, that explains why you keep losing the balance under your feet.
3. You forget things
Hearing loss can signal the start of cognitive decline as we get older, and this is because hearing loss frequently leads to social isolation, which enhances the risk of cognitive decline. It may sound complicated, but all of it is connected in complex ways. This cognitive decline happens to everyone at one point or another.
4. Loud noises bother you
Loud music or the sound of a trumpet in a car can be bothersome at times, but if you experience pain as a result, you shouldn’t call the police to write a ticket for the noise, but see your doctor instead! That may be another symptom of hearing loss, and shouldn’t be neglected in any possible way! When it comes to hearing loss, the ear’s ability to “mute” loud sounds is reduced, which might create pain when you’re in a noisy environment.
5. You keep saying “what?!”
If you have a hard time hearing in places where there is a lot of noise, such as restaurants, concerts, as well as out in the public and out in the street, you might fall in this category. A healthy ear can recognize voices despite the noise. How many times have you been in a situation where your buddies were all laughing at a joke and you couldn’t hear them and kept saying “What?!?”. If this happens quite often, then it may be an early sign of hearing loss.
6. You speak loudly
You may didn’t notice it, but some of your friends and relatives already did, and they told you that you speak a bit louder, even when there is no need to do so?! You shouldn’t be mad at your friends and relatives for telling you so, they didn’t want to hurt your feeling. Instead, you should take that as a piece of advice; maybe it’s time to see if there are any problems with your hearing since people who have these issues tend to speak louder.
7. TV and music are loud
Listening loudly to the radio or watching television in a raised tone indicates poor speech comprehension. That is the reason why people who have hearing issues listen to their favorite song and news on the TV at the maximum volume. For the individuals who don’t have these kinds of problems, this is considered as loud noise, while people who have the issue have difficulties in hearing, even with the maximum volume.
8. Getting tired while listening to others
Being tired when listening to other people’s experiences does not have to mean that their stories are dull or uninteresting, but it might be a cause for concern! Another clue that you have a hearing problem is if you get tired easily from concentrating while people are talking. Don’t feel ashamed if this happens; tell the people you were listening to that their stories are not dull, but that you have difficulties with hearing. I’m sure they will be more than willing to help you overcome these barriers.
9. Responding inappropriately to questions
Have you ever been in a situation where you asked a person a question, and then (s)he responded inappropriately? How many times did you laugh at this situation? People laugh because they think the person doesn’t know an answer to the question. Well, it can happen to anyone, and no one should laugh here, since we may talk about one of the signs of hearing loss. However, this is just another sign that shouldn’t be neglected, and should be taken seriously!
Do you think that you maybe have some of these symptoms or signs?
Do you think that you have some of these symptoms that we’ve mentioned? Well, this is not something that you or anyone who may have these signs should ignore. Furthermore, if you’re unsure about your hearing and want to check it out, you no longer need to visit a doctor. Now you can click here to check Phonak hearing test. You don’t have to leave the comfort of your home do to so, and it will only take you five minutes to get accurate results. All you need to do is find a quiet place in your home, make sure you have headphones instead of speakers, and voila! After taking the test, the results will be sent to your email. It is that simple.