Symptoms of Hearing Loss
Signs of Hearing Loss
The symptoms of hearing loss are contingent upon the type and severity of the impairment. Individuals with mild hearing loss in both ears may have a different experience than those with profound hearing loss in just one ear.
Common Indicators of Hearing Loss
For adults experiencing any degree of hearing loss, the following signs may serve as key indicators that their auditory function is compromised. Individuals may encounter some or all of these situations:
- Friends or family commenting on the volume of your television or radio.
- Difficulty understanding speech, particularly in noisy environments.
- Struggles in hearing people during phone conversations.
- Sensation of hearing but not comprehending the spoken word.
- Challenges in determining the direction of sound, referred to as localization.
- Frequent requests for others to repeat themselves.
- Dependence on a spouse or loved one for assistance in hearing.
- Avoidance of social situations due to hearing difficulties.
- Feelings of exhaustion after engaging in social events, known as listening fatigue.
- Presence of tinnitus, characterized by ringing in the ears.
- Paradoxical sensitivity to certain sounds, described as “recruitment.”