Signs and Symptoms of a
Hearing Loss

hearing loss diagram

Most hearing losses occur gradually, so the signs and symptoms are often difficult to recognize. People might begin turning up the volume on the TV, or asking other people to repeat themselves.

When hearing starts to fade, we tend to forget how things sound. We start to live in a quieter world, unaware that we are missing the softer sounds of everyday life, like the patter of rain or birdsong.

It might be time to consult a hearing professional if you, or someone you are close to, is experiencing one or more of the following problems:

People seem to be mumbling
You have to strain to hear when someone talks or whispers
You have difficulty hearing someone call from behind or from another room
You need to watch a speaker’s lips more closely to follow conversation
Following a conversation is difficult when you're in a group of people, for example at a meeting, at church, or during lectures
You have to turn up the volume on the TV or radio
You have problems hearing clearly on the telephone
You have difficulty hearing at the theatre, cinema, or other entertainment venues
You find it hard to hear in noisy environments, for example in a restaurant or car
You have begun to limit your social activities due to difficulty hearing and communicating; and
Family, friends, or colleagues mention that they often have to repeat themselves

An observer will also start to see psychological or emotional signs such as:

Becoming more distant... not quite as talkative or communicating as readily
Appearing not to be interested or showing only superficial responses
Irritability - they may have been told to turn the volume down more often than they would like
Looking worried - for example, if they feel they could have misheard a medical diagnosis
Becoming more and more frustrated - even the smaller things could become a chore; and
Feeling more and more isolated, especially in a group – are they picking up a newspaper or a book to disguise this?

Please remember that there are no visual signs of the onset of a hearing problem, it occurs gradually, sometimes taking years to acknowledge the deterioration. There are a number of stages. The first stage is one of denial; it is always blamed on the way that other people speak.

Once they admit that they may have a hearing loss, the next stage often reflects a feeling of irritation or resentment, even exasperation and isolation. Even at this stage there will be some resistance. The final stage is acceptance. It is only at this stage that they become more receptive to some positive action.

So be aware that, if someone close to you appears to be changing ‘character’, it could just be their hearing.