Hearing loss can manifest in many different ways. Depending on the degree or severity of the hearing loss, symptoms can range from occasional difficulty understanding words to inability to communicate with others and social isolation. Learn thesymptoms of hearing lossso you know when to seek help.
While there are a few different types of hearing loss and many different causes, the symptoms are generally similar regardless of type or cause.
Common Symptoms of Hearing Loss
Common symptoms of hearing loss include:
- Listening to television or radio at a high volume
- Trouble understanding speech, especially in noisy environments
- The perception that others are mumbling
- Difficulty hearing people on the phone
- Often asking people to repeat themselves
- Avoiding social situations
- Exhaustion after attending social events
- Tinnitus, or ringing in the ears
The most common type of hearing loss issensorineural hearing loss. This type often results in a decreased ability to hear high-pitched sounds.
People with high-frequency hearing loss often miss these sounds:
- Female and young children’s voices
- Certain consonant sounds like s, sh, f, v, th, f, p, making it difficult to understand some words
- The car’s turn signal
- Beeping sounds on timers and microwave ovens
- Songbirds
Temporary vs. Permanent Hearing Loss
Temporary hearing loss is often caused by exposure to loud noises such as attending a concert, gunshots or fireworks. It is characterized by a temporary threshold shift (TTS) and is often accompanied by tinnitus. It can last for just a few hours or up to several days before hearing returns to normal. If you are exposed to loud noises frequently, the ears have a harder time recovering from TTS after each occurrence and your hearing loss can become permanent.
Unlike temporary hearing loss, permanent hearing loss cannot be reversed and usually involves damage to the auditory nerves or the tiny hair cells of the inner ear. For most permanent hearing losses, the best solution isproperly fitted hearing aids.
Hearing Loss in Children
Hearing loss in children is usually detected with the help of a newborn infant hearing screening. Astute parents will also be able to detect hearing loss in their child.
Symptoms of hearing loss in children include:
- A delay in speech and language development
- Child does not startle when loud sound is present
- Child cannot localize sound (tell where sound is coming from)
- Poor performance in school
- Behavioral problems in school
- A learning disability diagnosis
Next steps
Now that you know the symptoms of hearing loss in adults and children, be mindful of signs of trouble. In adults, hearing loss can often begin long before symptoms are noticed and the loss can progress slowly over time. If you suspect you, your child or someone close to you is showing signs of hearing loss, call to set up an appointment with our hearing healthcare professionals. Get a baseline hearing test and follow up annually to look for changes. The sooner you seek help, the better your outcome will be.
CallHearing Health Centersat(712) 262-7774for more information or to schedule an appointment.
