4 Signs Your Loved One Has Hearing Loss

Hearing loss can have a profound effect on a person’s mental, emotional and physical well-being and if left untreated it can deteriorate and become harder to treat. Recognizing the signs and symptoms of hearing loss is therefore imperative. What is more, hearing loss can be effectively treated and have incredibly positive effects on those who experience it. So, the sooner it is identified and acted upon the more beneficial it will be.

Hearing loss can manifest in a number of ways and being able to recognize the signs will enable you to provide help and support for a loved one. Here are four main characteristics of hearing impairment and indicators that it is time to seek professional advice from a hearing instrument specialist.

Difficulty Understanding Speech

Perhaps one of the clearest indicators that someone may be experiencing hearing loss or tinnitus is that they are finding it hard to keep up with conversation or understand speech. A good way to identify a potential hearing loss is to recognize if a loved one is asking you to repeat yourself multiple times. This will be because your speech is likely to become muffled and unclear to a person with hearing loss and as such, they may not be able to identify the words you are saying.

Another sign to look out for when it comes to speech is whether a loved one can hear your speech when you are not facing them. People with hearing loss may still be able to understand a speaker who is facing them as they often, subconsciously, rely on lip-reading. If you are talking to a loved one but not facing them and they repeatedly struggle to hear you, this could be a sign of an underlying hearing issue.

They Turn Up the Volume

A very common sign that someone may be experiencing hearing loss is that they will always turn up the volume of devices such as the TV, tablet or radio to levels that are generally considered uncomfortable to others. Typically, this is done to enable those with hearing loss to better hear dialogue that is layered over background noise or music, which is commonplace on TV programs and films.

They Avoid Social Situations

Hearing loss can present difficulties with communication, as referred to above. This in turn can lead to people feeling uncomfortable or awkward in social situations. They may be reticent to ask people to repeat themselves or feel anxious that they may not be able to keep up with the flow of conversation.

This can then result in your loved one shying away from social gatherings and ultimately result in adverse consequences on the emotional and mental health. If you notice a loved one repeatedly putting off attending occasions or making up reasons to excuse their attendance, consider whether there could be an ulterior motive at play.

They Are Unaffected by Loud Noises

The world around is filled with loud noises, it could be traffic, construction or music. Any of which can be encountered on a daily basis. If you find these noises uncomfortable or too loud but they seemingly do not affect your loved one, it could be a result of hearing loss.

Are you or a loved one in need of hearing loss treatment services? Give Hearing More Medical Centers of America a call today to discuss treatment options.

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