It is very rare that a person with hearing loss self-diagnoses the issue. While hearing loss can begin in your 30’s, the long gradual decline can be barely noticeable on a month to month or even year to year basis. In addition, as hearing declines, our brains adjust and we become remarkably effective lip readers, particularly of those we spend the most time with. We don’t even realize we are lip reading until we see that we can only understand people when they are directly in front of us.
Some of the signs of hearing loss:
- Asking friends and family members to repeat information frequently.
- Increasing the volume on the radio or TV to a level that’s uncomfortable for individuals with normal hearing.
- No longer enjoying social activities like group dinners at restaurants. Your friends think you have lost interest in them when really its just that you struggle to hear well in groups
- You constantly ask people them to repeat what they said or it appears that you forget what was just said (because you didn’t actually hear it).
- You miss the beginning of conversations because it’s hard to hear them and then when you jump in, they say “that’s what we were just talking about!”
What to do about it? First of all, don’t assume you need hearing aids. Just get a hearing test. This is a good step for your general health. Declining hearing can be an early sign of something more serious. Hearing test are quick and easy to do. They normally take about 30 minutes.
To schedule a hearing test, contact us at Purchase Ear Technology by phone at (270) 558-3996 or stop by our office at 2008 Broadway, Paducah, KY 42001.