Hearing loss is well known to be a process that progresses slowly. It can be rather subtle for this very reason. Your hearing doesn’t get worse in giant leaps but rather in little steps. And that can make the gradual decline in your ears hard to track, especially if you aren’t looking for it. That’s why identifying the first signs of age-related hearing loss can be a big boost for your ear-defense.
Even though it’s hard to detect, dealing with hearing loss early can help you avoid a wide variety of associated conditions, like depression, anxiety, and even dementia. You will also protect against additional deterioration with prompt treatment. The best way to ensure treatment is to notice the early warning signs as they are present.
Initial signs of hearing loss can be difficult to identify
The first signs of hearing loss tend to be elusive. It’s not like you wake up one morning and, all of a sudden, you can’t hear anything quieter than 65 decibels. The symptoms, instead, become incorporated into your everyday lives.
The human body and brain, you see, are incredibly adaptable. When your hearing starts to go, your brain can start to compensate, helping you follow discussions or figure out who said what. Maybe you unconsciously begin to tilt your head to the right when your hearing begins to go on the left side.
But there’s only so much compensation that your brain can accomplish.
Age related hearing loss – first signs
There are some well known signs to watch for if you think that you or a loved one may be experiencing the onset of age associated hearing loss:
- You’re asking people to repeat themselves often: This one shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. But, typically, you won’t realize you’re doing it. When you have a challenging time hearing something, you may request some repetition. When this begins to happen more often, it should raise some red flags about your hearing.
- Elevated volume on devices: This is perhaps the single most recognized indication of hearing loss. It’s common and often cited. But it’s also easy to see and easy to track (and easy to relate to). If you’re continuously turning up the volume, that’s a sign that you aren’t hearing as well as you used to.
- Consonant sounds like “s” and “th” are difficult to differentiate.: There’s something about the frequency that these sounds vibrate on that can make them especially difficult to hear when your ears aren’t at their optimum level. You should pay especial attention to the “s” and “th” sounds, but other consonant sounds can also become confused.
- Straining to hear in noisy settings: Distinguishing individual voices in a crowded space is one of the things that the brain is quite good at. But your brain has progressively less information to work with as your hearing gets worse. It can quickly become overwhelming to try to hear what’s happening in a crowded space. Having a hearing test is the best option if you find yourself avoiding more conversations because you’re having a tough time following along.
You should also watch for these more subtle signs
There are some signs of hearing loss that don’t seem to have very much to do with your hearing. These are subtle signs, no doubt, but they can be a leading indicator that your ears are struggling.
- Chronic headaches: Your ears will still be straining to hear even as your hearing is declining. They’re doing hard work. And straining like this over extended periods can cause chronic headaches.
- Restless nights: Ironically, another indication of hearing loss is insomnia. It seems as if it would be easier to sleep when it’s quiet, but you go into a chronic state of restless alertness when you’re always straining to hear.
- Difficulty concentrating: It may be hard to achieve necessary levels of concentration to accomplish your daily tasks if your brain has to devote more resources to hearing. As a result, you might experience some trouble focusing.
When you notice any of these signs of age-related hearing loss, it’s important to schedule an appointment with us to figure out whether or not you’re dealing with the early development of hearing impairment. Then, we can come up with treatment plans that can safeguard your hearing.
Hearing loss develops gradually. But you can stay ahead of it with the correct knowledge.
References
https://www.healthyhearing.com/report/46306-Hearing-loss-auditory-deprivation
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hearing-loss/symptoms-causes/syc-20373072