{"id":6650,"date":"2019-05-23T04:46:25","date_gmt":"2019-05-23T04:46:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/?p=6650"},"modified":"2021-11-10T08:59:10","modified_gmt":"2021-11-10T08:59:10","slug":"hearing-loss-10-early-warning-signs-you-might-be-ignoring","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/hearing-loss-10-early-warning-signs-you-might-be-ignoring\/","title":{"rendered":"Hearing Loss: 10 Early Warning Signs You Might Be Ignoring"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Hearing loss can be caused by a range of different health conditions, and if you have been thinking that you need to turn up the volume of the TV a little higher than normal, hearing loss could be the problem behind this \u2013 and it doesn\u2019t matter what age you might be at right now, hearing loss can affect you at any point during your life. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are many risk factors that can put you at an increased risk of developing hearing loss, including some environmental factors, high-risk (and high-noise) careers, dietary factors, overall health, and genetics. Direct injuries to hearing can also increase your risk, even if they only happened once. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are 8 early warning signs of hearing loss that you might be ignoring. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Often-Misheard Conversations<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One of the first and often earliest signs that you might be experiencing the first symptoms of deafness <\/a>is often-misheard conversations and misunderstandings that occur in daily life. This is something that you might not notice at first, but it usually becomes apparent as soon as other people start to point out that they\u2019re getting tired of having to repeat themselves \u2013 or you notice that you keep asking people to speak up. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a common symptom that it\u2019s not everything around you that\u2019s gotten quieter, but instead, your hearing might have declined \u2013 and it\u2019s one of the first reasons why you should go for a proper hearing test. Don\u2019t wait until any other symptoms start to show up.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It might occur together with some of the other symptoms that are mentioned in this article, or it might occur completely on its own \u2013 and will usually happen gradually in both cases.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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2. Needing to Up the Volume<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Realizing that you\u2019re regularly mishearing conversations isn\u2019t the only sign that you might be experiencing early-onset hearing loss<\/a>, and you might notice that it feels like the volume has been turned down on life itself \u2013 and this generally gets worse as whatever is causing your deafness progresses over time. One way in which you might notice that you\u2019re experiencing gradually declining hearing is that you are constantly needing to turn up the volume on everything around you in order to hear.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is pretty easy to notice in the era of televisions and smartphones: If you have to increase the volume to the point where the system warns you it might cause damage to your hearing (or people around you start to complain that things are far too loud), it\u2019s likely that the problem isn\u2019t everything else, but might be your declining hearing instead.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remember that increased volume can also make hearing damage worse over time.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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3. Pain in the Ears<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Pain <\/a>in the body is almost always a sign that your body is trying to tell you something, and that there\u2019s a condition likely causing it that needs to be addressed. If you experience either temporary or chronic pain in the ears, it\u2019s definitely a sign that something is wrong \u2013 and in many cases, it can be a warning sign of early-onset deafness or a symptom of a condition that might cause it if it\u2019s left untreated.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chronic pain in the ears means you should make an appointment with your doctor \u2013 and an ear, nose, and throat specialist if the doctor can\u2019t find the cause or needs to refer you to a specialist from there. Sometimes it\u2019s a simple infection or allergies, and other times it can be indicative of a more serious health condition.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In many cases, pain in the ears along with deafness can indicate bursts or damaged eardrums.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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4. Ear Wax Build-Up<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Everyone has ear wax that builds up in the ear, although too much ear wax can sometimes be produced and get stuck in hard-to-clean areas \u2013 and this can lead to a range of different problems for your ears including repeated ear infections<\/a>, temporary deafness, and pain in the ears. It\u2019s dangerous to go \u201cdigging\u201d for ear wax like this with an earbud: Instead, it might require an appointment with your doctor to dislodge stubborn wax, though in the early stages this can be fixed at home.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For stubborn wax that\u2019s starting to cause a problem, the best course of action before seeing a doctor is to attempt to soften the wax before trying to remove it. Going to dig for it with earbuds can only risk damaging the ear canal or drum, which can itself lead to hearing loss. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s always best to see a doctor if this becomes a chronic problem or one you can\u2019t solve at home. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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5. Repeated Ear Infections<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you experience some of the symptoms on this list in combination with one another such as pain in the ears together with temporary deafness, then it might be that you have an ear infection. There are several reasons why this can happen, and sometimes an infection can even travel from somewhere else in the body (such as the sinuses) and become problematic to the hearing and ear canal<\/a> \u2013 and it will almost definitely manifest with these symptoms all at once. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

With an ear infection, it\u2019s best to go straight to a doctor and have the right antibiotics prescribed to take care of the root of the infection. They can also help to find the cause at the same time, especially if you have experienced repeated ear infections after one another. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Repeated ear infections can cause damage to the ear canal every time they happen, and it might eventually lead to hearing loss, especially if it\u2019s only diagnosed and treated once the damage has been done.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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6. Tinnitus<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Tinnitus <\/a>is better described as ringing in the ears, and it might happen as a temporary symptom that only seems to happen at certain times, or it might be something that never goes away. It\u2019s often combined with other symptoms such as pain in the ears, dizziness, and loss of hearing, especially certain frequencies. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s something that always means you should make an appointment with the right doctor to find the cause behind it. Tinnitus is one of the most common symptoms of hearing loss, and it could be an early warning sign of many conditions that trigger it.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes tinnitus happens due to an ear infection, other times it happens due to damage to the ear canal; it can also happen due to conditions like high or low blood pressure as an associated symptom, which means that it\u2019s vital to get this checked out by a doctor and give the doctor the most detailed list of symptoms that you can.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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7. Discharge from the Ear<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Discharge <\/a>from the ear is something that warrants an immediate appointment with your doctor, and it can signal a few different conditions including damage to the eardrum, a CSF leak, or an ongoing ear infection that will need treatment with the right antibiotics as soon as possible. Most of the health conditions that will cause discharge from the ears put you at a very high risk of eventual hearing damage, especially if the cause of the discharge isn\u2019t treated fast.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This isn\u2019t the kind of thing you should try to treat at home: Antibiotics are the best, fastest way to clear up a serious ear infection without the risk of any hearing damage \u2013 and an appointment with your doctor (sometimes with a few simple tests) could be enough <\/span>to treat the cause and save your hearing.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s the kind of symptom that you will experience together with other symptoms on this list (including pain in the ears) but it\u2019s also the kind of symptom that still warrants a doctor\u2019s appointment on its own.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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8. Dizziness<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re noticing frequent episodes of dizziness or feel like you\u2019re off-balance and falling over all the time, the cause behind this could be your ears \u2013 and it\u2019s often misdiagnosed as something else entirely just because people never think to mention their associated ear-related symptoms to their doctor at the same time as everything else. Dizziness <\/a>can commonly be caused by conditions that affect the ear, especially because of the fact that the fluid in the ears is what controls our balance. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you have an ear condition, ear infection, or damage to the eardrums, your balance and hearing could both be temporarily or permanently affected \u2013 and the damage can usually still be repaired while these conditions are in the early stages, but treatment options become less as the hearing damage increases.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Always provide your medical expert with detailed symptoms, even if you think it has nothing to do with your current health issue.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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9. Muffled Speech and Sounds<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Hearing loss is a steady degeneration of your hearing occurring over decades. The effect is so subtle many people don’t realize how badly it affects their hearing. It’s common for people dealing with hearing loss to confuse words and sounds. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You might talk to them, and they continually ask you to repeat yourself, or they look at you with a friendly face, but they have no idea what you were talking to them about in the conversation. The affected individual might interpret speech as muffled, causing them to ask people to repeat themselves, or they might lean in towards you to hear what you’re saying. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

People with progressive hearing loss might also notice they confuse sounds. They might even have difficulty identifying the source of noise, especially in areas where the sound reflects surfaces, like an underground parking garage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hearing aids <\/a>can provide some relief to help affected individuals overcome some of the limitations on their hearing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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10. Difficulty Understanding Words<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Hearing loss is frustrating for the affected individual. As the condition progresses, they notice that their hearing gets worse in all situations. People who are hard of hearing find they have trouble hearing <\/a>and understanding words. As a result, they ask the speaker to repeat themselves so they can stay in the conversation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If a person with hearing loss is listening in on a conversation, they may find it hard to keep track of the flow of interactions between involved parties. The situation is especially worse in crowded rooms, where the noise from the crowd interferes with the person’s ability to track the speaker’s words. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hearing aids can help in these situations, but you need to adjust the settings to compensate for indoor or outdoor conditions. Most hearing aids come with pre-installed settings for indoor and outdoor use. Select the location, and you should find it easier to understand and identify words and hold a conversation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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11. Trouble Identifying Consonants<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

People dealing with the effects of hearing loss find they don’t have any trouble identifying vowels in the English language. They have no problem hearing A, E, I, O, or U. However; they do have a problem with identifying consonants in speech. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consonants have a softer roll off the tongue<\/a>, and they are the basis of syllables to form speech. As a result, the affected individual may find it hard to determine words or confuse words with others when listing to a conversation. Consonants are the bulk of letters in words, and when people with hearing loss confuse them with other notes, it creates frustration in the affected individual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wearing a hearing aid can help the affected individual overcome their hearing loss and track conversations. A hearing aid amplifies the person’s speech, allowing you to follow their voice. You have better clarity between vowels and consonants and a better time tracking what people say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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12. Avoidance of Social Events<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One of the key signs that your partner is dealing with hearing loss is avoiding social situations. Most people who don’t attend to their hearing loss take an anti-social stance on communications with other people. As a result, it’s hard for them to meet and interact with other people. When they do, they get frustrated when they can’t hear the other person properly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If your partner shows signs of social aversion, take them to a hearting specialist for a consultation., the specialist examines their hearing and makes recommendations on treatment<\/a>, usually hearing aids. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The hearing specialist helps you set up the hearing aid and adjust it to your preference. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the affected individual regains their hearing, they lose their social aversion and anxiety. They’ll be happy to attend events with you and sit around the family dinner table chatting. However, many people don’t realize the subtle impact hearing loss has on their communications. They might start cupping their hand around their ear and directing it towards you to get a better idea of what you’re saying. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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13. Disengagement with Conversation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

People who are struggling with hearing loss have a hard time keeping up with the conversation. You might find they ask you to repeat yourself, or they may request you to speak louder so they can hear <\/a>you better. However, if the affected individual attends an event with other people and has to listen as a group, you may notice them distracted and bored with the presentation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since they can’t hear what the person is saying, they start to lose interest in the event and begin to fidget with their cell phone or look around the room to see if they can escape. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you’re talking to the affected individual and another person, you might find that the person with hearing loss disengages from the conversation. If this occurs, it’s because they lose track of what people are saying and no longer feel they can add value to the discussion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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14. Watching the TV Too Loud<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A steady increase in the TV volume is one of the first signs of hearing loss visible from people in a relationship with someone that hard of hearing. The affected individual might not even notice that the TV is that loud, it’s only when their partner tells them to turn it down that they realize what’s going on and the extent of their hearing loss. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The affected individual can gain some relief from wearing headphones, but they might turn up the volume too loud, damaging their hearing further. Hearing aids provide the best form of relief for watching TV at the right volume. Your hearing loss is probably affecting your partner as well. Having to sit down to watch TV with you at a crazy volume is not comfortable for them either. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hearing aids help you overcome the challenges involved with age<\/a>-related hearing loss. If you notice any of the signs mentioned in this article, consult with a hearing specialist to see what you can do about the situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\r\n

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