Signs You Need A Hearing Assessment

We all do it. Every single one of us has something in our lives that we’ve been putting off.

It could be cleaning out the garage, fixing the dripping faucet, or finally getting around to reading that book your friend recommended.

There’s no harm in putting things off – life gets in the way after all! But one thing we don’t recommend putting off is your health check appointments (especially when it comes to your hearing health!) Yet only 16% of Americans that need a hearing aid are actually wearing one. In fact, on average, people wait ten years from noticing hearing loss to addressing it with professional treatment.

So what are the signs that you should be putting a hearing health check on your to-do list?

Everyone Is Mumbling!

Thinking that others are mumbling is a common sign of hearing loss. Soft sounds within speech such as ‘th’ and ‘sh’ become much more difficult to understand. It’s easy to blame the person speaking for not speaking clearly enough, but often, it’s the person listening who is struggling to hear.

When patients visit our office with loved ones, this is usually the most frequent thing a loved one will say they have been accused of. But, speaking from experience, it is often our loved ones who are first to notice a hearing loss – so ensure you give them the time to explain any changes they might have noticed.

Ringing In The Ears

If you hear sounds that others can’t hear, such as ringing, hissing, whooshing, or buzzing – this could be a sign of tinnitus. Tinnitus is not classified as an isolated condition – rather, a symptom of an underlying issue – such as hearing loss.

Tinnitus is known to be caused by a number of issues – but is not limited to these most common causes:

• Aging – as we get older, our hearing naturally becomes weaker, which can cause tinnitus
• Medication – certain medications can cause a person to develop tinnitus. Contact us to find out if your medication might be affecting your hearing.
• Noise exposure – just like hearing loss, excessive noise exposure can damage the cells in your ears which can result in ringing in the ears.
• Blocked ears – an obstruction in the ear, such as a stuck object or impacted earwax, can cause tinnitus symptoms.
• Head trauma – a sudden head trauma can cause tinnitus.

If you’d like to find out more about tinnitus and the possible treatment options – please click here, or call us at (888) 691-3821.

“What Did You Say?”

If you are constantly asking people to repeat themselves, it may be time to schedule a hearing assessment. It’s no fun on either part when words continuously have to be repeated for you to communicate effectively with friends and loved ones. 

If this sounds like you, it might be best to consider whether you have issues with your hearing, rather than thinking it’s everyone else not speaking clearly enough.

To schedule a hearing assessment, please click here.

“Was That The Door?”

When was the last time you heard household sounds such as dripping faucet, the doorbell, or maybe the turning signal in your car? These sounds are all high frequency and are usually the hardest to distinguish when a hearing loss occurs.

High-frequency hearing loss is prevalent, and most who have it usually struggle to hear children and women – especially when words with s, h, or f are spoken since these are often softer sounds emitted at a higher pitch.

Don’t you miss the sounds of birds singing? Let our experts help you experience those incredible sounds once again by scheduling a comprehensive hearing assessment today.

Ring, Ring!

If you have trouble understanding people on the telephone, then this could indicate a hearing loss. This is because, in these situations, you are missing visual cues, body language, and lip-reading. They are all tools you may be utilizing more than you realize when communicating face-to-face with people.

Even people without hearing loss benefit from visual cues and body language to better understand speech, but if you really struggle on the cell phone or you often find yourself swapping ears to hear better through your “better ear,” – it might be time for a hearing health check-up.

“Stop Yelling!”

You keep being told you are talking too loudly. Often, people with hearing issues cannot hear how loudly they are speaking since they cannot hear their own voice properly. Yelling and turning up the TV or radio louder than necessary is usually a sign that you have trouble hearing. 

A good indicator is if your loved one is telling you the volume is too loud for them.

What Next?

If you or a loved one is experiencing any common signs above, now would be a great time to add a hearing assessment to your to-do list. By prioritizing your hearing healthcare, you not only take care of your hearing, mental well-being, and physical health – you also help your relationships with loved ones thrive.

Schedule a free hearing test at the Beltone office closest to you in Michigan or Ohio.

We look forward to hearing from you soon!