Dealing with potential hearing loss is a difficult thing to admit, even to yourself. After all, things are going okay. You can still hear most of a conversation or turn the television up only a couple more notches, so it’s fine. If this sounds familiar, then it actually might be warning signs of more significant hearing loss down the road. If you are experiencing any one of these symptoms, be sure to get a full hearing assessment. It will save you a lot of time and headaches down the road.

You get overwhelmed in crowded or noisy situations

One of the early warning signs you might be dealing with hearing loss is that it’s difficult to follow sounds, especially in a crowd. Places like parties, restaurants, conferences or shopping centres are especially difficult because there is lots of background noise – music,  or a lot of people talking at the same time. You might find yourself paying attention to the main event or the person beside you, but unable to hear both at the same time. If you have to really focus in order to hear one thing over another, or two things simultaneously, it’s time to get checked.

You lose high-pitched noises

You may think that you aren’t at risk for hearing loss because you still pick up most of what people are saying. Take some time and actually pay attention to the types of sounds you hear. Are they mostly low-pitched or high-pitched? Warning signs of hearing loss include hearing men’s voices clearer than women’s or children’s, or bigger dogs over smaller dogs. Some other sounds to listen for include birds chirping, microwave beeps, or the doorbell.

You’ve experienced sickness or trauma

Unfortunately, any time you injure yourself, especially your head, you put yourself at higher risk for hearing loss. According to Intech, a medical journal, a trauma of this kind can rattle your which can send mixed signals to the rest of your body, including your ears. Even illnesses such as ear infection, a cold or flu can have an impact on your hearing. This means you should pay attention to any changes to your hearing ability. Even if it seems like a small change, it could lead to more damage later on. It’s always better to get checked early and be safe rather than sorry.

For more information on hearing loss or getting your own hearing evaluated, contact us.