5 Signs You Need a Hearing Aid

Getting older is a natural fact of life, and although some people are able to retain perfect vision and hearing, others may not be as lucky. In fact, hearing loss is a very common physical condition and can happen suddenly or gradually over time. Therefore you shouldn’t be surprised if at some point you realize your hearing has started to decline. However, thanks to the wide availability of hearing aid technology, hearing loss doesn’t have to control your life.

The first step you should take if you feel you may be suffering from hearing loss is to have your hearing checked. Since hearing loss can often be hard to detect, here are a few signs that will help you decide if it’s time to make an appointment with a hearing care professional.

1. Others Complain About Volume Levels
Whether you’re watching TV, listening to music, or talking on the phone, you might think that the noise level is perfectly normal until others inform you that the volume is too high. Obviously, some people are bound to have more sensitive hearing, but when several people tell you the same thing in a variety of situations, there’s a good chance that you could be struggling to hear. So if your family, friends, and coworkers have voiced the opinion that you talk too loudly and your music and television habits follow suit, perhaps it’s time for a hearing test.

2. You Have Trouble Listening In Crowds
One of the first signs that you’re suffering from hearing loss is when you have difficulty following a conversation in a crowd. If you often have trouble differentiating between who’s speaking to you in a noisy environment, you could be in the early stages of hearing loss.

3. You Can’t Understand What People Are Saying
When hearing loss sets in, you’ll probably find that you experience all kinds of misunderstandings when people are speaking to you. This can often lead to a string of misinterpretations and can cause miscommunication between you and the speaker. So if you often find yourself mistaking what people say to you, hearing loss could definitely be to blame.

4. “What?” Has Become Your Catchphrase
Asking others to constantly repeat themselves is not only frustrating to those trying to tell you something, but it can start to make you feel uncomfortable as well. It is for this exact reason that people suffering from hearing loss often resort to nodding and smiling when people talk, even if they’re not catching a word.

5. Tinnitus
In truth, tinnitus is not necessarily a sign of hearing loss, but the two can definitely go hand in hand, especially if hearing loss is related to noise damage. If you notice ringing in your ears, you’ll want to get it checked out anyway. You should also take the opportunity to get a hearing test, just in case you have both conditions. If you have hearing loss, studies have shown hearing aids, like those from Miracle-Ear, can both relieve your tinnitus and help you hear.