Worried about your hearing
New to hearing loss?
Worried about your hearing? Not sure what to do, where to go or who to talk to? However your hearing has been affected, we’re here to help. Whether your hearing loss is mild or profound, gradual or sudden, there is information on our website available to you.
Hearing loss is defined as ‘a decrease in a person’s sensitivity to sound’. Put simply, you don’t hear as well as you did.
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It has four clinical levels (mild, moderate, severe, and profound).
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It can happen gradually or suddenly.
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It can affect one or both ears.
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It can develop with age, as a result of repeated exposure to loud noise or for other reasons, like illness.
It’s not always easy to tell when hearing loss is happening. Sometimes when people begin to lose their hearing, they can still get by. They might not even realise that some things are becoming more of a struggle. It’s possible that people around you might recognise the signs before you notice them yourself.
Facing up to change can be a bit daunting and it’s natural to hope the problem lies elsewhere. But it’s worth considering whether your hearing has changed. Once you know what you’re dealing with, you’ll find there are lots of things you can do to make life easier.
Please read the information in the table below, and if you can’t find what you’re looking for or would like to discuss your query or concern, please contact our customer support.
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The 7 warning signs of hearing loss
Did you know that up to 2 out of 3 people with hearing loss are both undiagnosed and untreated?*
With this is mind, how do you know if you’re going deaf or losing your hearing?
Lets take a look at some of the warning signs…
Having the TV or radio turned up too loud
If you’re having trouble hearing background noises and turning up your TV or radio as a result, chances are that you’re starting to lose your hearing.
You may not even realise you have the volume up so loud until someone points it out to you – usually with a shocked or surprised expression on their face or in the tone of their voice.
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Struggling to follow conversations and asking people to repeat themselves.
During conversation, if you’re commonly asking people to repeat themselves and/or struggling to follow what is being said, this is a big sign that you may need to get a hearing test.
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Muffled hearing or difficulty hearing background sound
If you have consistently muffled hearing, then you should know that something is wrong. Everything will sound distorted and quiet – perhaps like your ears are being covered.
Missing phone calls or the doorbell
Do you often have missed calls or people saying they’ve been outside your door knocking for an extended period of time?
This is common with hearing loss, particularly as you are more likely to have your TV or radio turned up louder than usual.
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Twisting your neck to hear a sound
Turning your head so that your ear is pointing towards the source of the sound – whether this be someone talking, the TV or anything else, is one of the most blatant signs of deafness.
Directing your ear towards sound is great for hearing it better, but you shouldn’t need to do this and over time this will also become ineffective.
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Upset when confronted about hearing problems
Like with a lot of thing, the first sign of a problem can be denial.
There’s plenty of help out there if you’re regularly being told by a range of people that you may be going deaf. Book a hearing test and help get yourself sorted as soon as possible.
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Becoming withdrawn and isolated
Coming to terms with personal deficiencies can be sometimes be tough, leaving you increasingly likely to spend time away from others.
It’s important not to fret, as hearing can be improved the vast majority of the time.
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In a lot of cases, someone else may recognise your symptoms before you notice it for yourself.
Remember
You don’t have to have all seven of these signs to be experiencing hearing loss.
The only way to know that you have hearing loss for sure is to book yourself in for a hearing test with a local hearing professional.