There has perhaps never been a time when hearing health and private hearing aids have been more widely discussed, and these words will translate into audiologist visits, tests and fittings for new hearing aids.
Whilst a new wave of earbuds and headphones with some limited hearing aid functionality will not provide the levels of assistance to hearing nor the versatility of professionally fitted specialist hearing aids, they are helping to make visible a condition that is often left hidden.
This has always been a concern because people often experience the effects of hearing loss before they realise the root cause, as losing the sense of hearing can affect not only volume but also many other elements of conversation.
Here are some subtle signs of hidden hearing loss that could be helped with hearing aids.
An early effect of hearing loss is increased difficulty or inability to distinguish speech from noise when in a loud environment such as a nightclub, conference or busy restaurant.
The reason for this is that people hear not just through the ears but through the speech processing centre of the brain, and early hearing loss often makes the latter work harder to try and ascertain what has been said against other noises.
Whilst sometimes the room is just that loud or the conversation that quiet, if it is happening regularly it may be time to see an audiologist.
Struggling to keep up with a conversation can happen for a lot of different reasons, and everyone will ask someone to repeat what they just said for a lot of reasons unrelated to hearing.
Outside of tiredness, not paying attention or being caught by surprise, struggling with hearing could be caused by an ear infection or the build-up of earwax. Both of the latter can be easily fixed by a professional and the results are often dramatic.
However, if you are asking someone to repeat themselves a lot, and it seems like everyone is mumbling around you, then an audiologist can quickly check to see if there is a more significant issue that hearing aids could help with.
Listening and talking requires the use of mental energy, so it is natural to feel a little tired during a long meeting where you are expected to think, listen, contribute and take notes. However, there are different levels of fatigue and some can have far-reaching consequences.
As hearing loss progresses, the brain uses more energy and focus in order to keep up with a conversation, which can be stressful and affect a person’s mental well-being as well as physical health.
Hearing loss is a risk factor for dementia, and one of the lesser-known effects is that it leads people to isolate themselves from social situations, which can intensify the effects of dementia over time.
As with other hidden signs, there are other explanations unrelated to hearing loss, but if you have noticed several of these symptoms frequently affect you, it is time to have a professional hearing test.
