It’s frequently said that hearing loss is a slow-moving process. It can be quite insidious for this very reason. Your hearing gets worse not in big leaps but by little steps. And that can make the gradual decline in your ears difficult to keep track of, especially if you aren’t looking for it. That’s why knowing the first signs of age-related hearing loss can be a big help for your ear-defense.

Even though it’s difficult to identify, treating hearing loss early can help you prevent a wide range of associated conditions, such as depression, anxiety, and even dementia. You will also prevent further deterioration with timely treatment. The best way to ensure treatment is to recognize the early warning signs as they are present.

Initial signs of hearing loss can be hard to identify

Early hearing loss has elusive symptoms. You don’t, suddenly, lose a major portion of your hearing. The symptoms, instead, become incorporated into your everyday lives.

The human body and brain, you see, are amazingly adaptable. When your hearing begins to go, your brain can start to compensate, helping you follow conversations or determine who said what. Maybe you unconsciously start to tilt your head to the right when your hearing begins to go on the left side.

But there’s only so much compensation that your brain can achieve.

Age related hearing loss – initial signs

If you’re concerned that your hearing (or the hearing of a loved one) may be waning because of age, there are some common signs you can keep an eye out for:

• A tough time hearing in crowded spaces: One of the things your brain is exceptionally good at is distinguishing individual voices in a crowded space. But as your hearing gets worse, your brain has less information to work with. Hearing in a busy room can quickly become overwhelming. Having a hearing examination is the best option if you find yourself steering clear of more conversations because you’re having a difficult time following along.
• Elevated volume on devices: This indication of hearing loss is possibly the most widely known. It’s classically recognized and mentioned. But it’s also very obvious and trackable. You can be certain that your hearing is beginning to go if you’re constantly turning the volume up.
• You regularly find yourself needing people to repeat what they said: This might be surprising. In most cases, though, you will do this without even recognizing that you are doing it at all. When you have a hard time hearing something, you may request some repetition. When this begins to happen more often, it should raise some red flags about your hearing.
• Consonant sounds like “s” and “th” are difficult to differentiate.: These consonant sounds tend to vibrate on a wavelength that becomes increasingly tough to differentiate as your hearing fades. The same is true of other consonants as well, but you should particularly pay attention to those “s” and “th” sounds.

You should also watch for these more subtle signs

A few subtle signs of hearing loss seem like they don’t have anything at all to do with your hearing. These signs can be strong indicators that your ears are struggling even though they’re discreet.

• Trouble concentrating: If your brain is having to devote more resources to hearing, you could have less concentration power available to get through your everyday routines. As a result, you might experience some difficulty focusing.
• Frequent headaches: When your hearing starts to decrease, your ears are still straining to hear sounds. They’re doing hard work. And straining like this over prolonged periods can cause chronic headaches.
• Restless nights: Insomnia is, ironically, an indicator of hearing loss. It seems as if it would be easier to fall asleep when it’s quiet, but you go into a chronic state of restless alertness when you’re constantly straining to hear.

When you notice any of these signs of age-related hearing loss, it’s worth scheduling an appointment with us to identify whether or not you are dealing with the early development of hearing impairment. Then, we can come up with treatment plans that can safeguard your hearing.

Hearing loss progresses gradually. With the right knowledge, you can stay ahead of it.

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References

https://www.healthyhearing.com/report/46306-Hearing-loss-auditory-deprivation

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hearing-loss/symptoms-causes/syc-20373072