HEARING LOSS

Is Hearing Loss Affecting Your Life?

Hearing. For most of your life, it’s as natural as breathing. You listen without thinking. Converse with ease. Wake from sleep to the subtlest of audio cues. Yet little by little, things have changed. You realize how often you have to ask people to repeat themselves. How exhausting it’s become to attend a meeting. And how the TV is too loud for everyone but you. You still wake up and smell the coffee, but you haven’t been hearing its gentle drip, or half of what the morning FM deejay has been saying. What’s going on?

Recognizing the Signs of Hearing Loss

If you think someone you know might have a hearing loss, take a look at this list of common signs. Do any of the following sound familiar?

• They appear to hear people talk but have difficulty understanding some of the words
• They’re constantly asking people to repeat themselves
• They have a hard time understanding women and children’s voices
• They have a hard time understanding in a crowd
• It’s hard for them to understand on the phone
• They favor one ear over the other
• They complain of a ringing sensation in one or both ears
• They often appear uncomfortable in social occasions they used to enjoy
• They seem withdrawn, depressed or irritable
• Other friends or family members have noticed their difficulty hearing

While a few “yes” answers don’t automatically indicate a hearing loss, it does suggest the need for further examination of the hearing faculty.