As we continue to live our lives in this world, we become older and, with it, also comes a few inevitable changes. A common example of this change happens with our hearing.
Growing older means that our body will not stay the way it was in its prime. This change can be, sadly, accompanied by some losses and deterioration of the functions of the systems working in our body.
Hearing loss is no exception. It is a sad and unavoidable reality that we must face as we get up in years.
The loss of hearing of a person depends on what type it is and the severity. It is advisable to seek out a healthcare professional in the field of hearing, such as an audiologist, to run some diagnosis, hearing loss clinical trials, and Power clinical evaluation that may help treat your hearing loss.
Aside from diagnosis and clinical trials, here are a few first signs and symptoms of hearing loss that you should be aware of:
Hearing consonant sounds is a bit of a struggle
This is an age-related symptom that makes it difficult for you to hear sounds classified as ‘High Frequencies’. These sounds include the words that start with consonant sounds such as T, S, Th, Sh, P, K, and V.
Examples of words that usually start with these consonant sounds:
- Truck
- Suck
- Throw
- Show
- Pray
- Play
- Keen
- Vile
A clogged sensation or feeling in your ear
We usually get this clogged feeling when there’s too much wax build-up in our ears. So it was first advised that you go have a check-up on your doctor. If the results show that your ears are clear from any wax or fluid, it might be because you have an age-related symptom of hearing loss. You experience this ‘clogged feeling’ because hearing loss is known to make sounds you hear become dull or somehow muffled.
Loudly hearing sounds that were normal before
Does it seem like you hear louder sounds much more frequently? Worse, these sounds sounded normal before. This is another symptom caused by hearing loss. This happens because the hair cells you gradually lose in your ear don’t lose simultaneously.
You’re straining to listen
This is a hearing loss symptom that makes you feel exhausted and can strain you from having any type of conversation. This also brings difficulty in understanding words and sentences during your talk with others. Getting up in years compromises your auditory system, which will make it harder for your brain to process the words received by your ears.
Ringing of the ears
A disease called tinnitus is a constant ringing or buzzing feeling in the ears. This can be really discomforting, especially because it is an age-related symptom that affects elderly persons. It can also be caused by too much exposure to inducing or loud noises. Some severe cases include loud ringing in the ear that will affect your daily activities, work, and even your sleep.
Difficulty in having long conversations in crowded and noisy settings
Another age-related sign or symptom of having hearing loss. Since being in a public place, you would expect that there would be background noise when having a conversation with someone. Background noises are usually in a low-pitched frequency, and given that you’re not able to hear some high-pitched words due to aging, it is most likely that you’ll be hearing more of the background noise rather than the words coming out of the mouth of the person you’re conversing with.
You are easily distracted
If you’re having hearing difficulties, it is unavoidable that you’d be easily distracted by the things happening around you. Having hearing loss means that a person would have to exert more energy to concentrate on a topic or situation. Understanding some messages when engaging in a conversation would take up much work to keep a constant focus during an interaction or conversation.
You tend to read lips during conversations
When we converse with people, it is a must that we keep eye contact to maintain a positive atmosphere during conversations. Now, this becomes really difficult when you have hearing loss. If you start to realize that you tend to read the lips of the person you’re talking to rather than engaging in eye contact with them, it is a sign of having hearing loss. This is because your brain finds a way to use your other senses to cope and makes up for the missing function of your hearing.
We can’t avoid the fact that we, people, will get older as the world gets older as well. The complications and difficulties that also come from aging are known to be inevitable, but that doesn’t mean you should allow yourself to succumb to the negative feelings of having them.
If you notice the listed signs and symptoms above, seek medical attention as soon as possible. Visit a health professional, especially an audiologist who is an expert in the field of hearing. A doctor can advise and conduct some diagnoses with tests and evaluation.