Fall in Portland is filled with sound: leaves rustling, children laughing as they pick apples at Topaz Farm and watching scary movies. You don’t want to miss this awesome soundscape. Stay on top of your hearing health with a hearing test, and here are some signs that it’s time for you to make an appointment.
Mishearing Words Often
Difficulties with speech comprehension are one of the first signs of hearing loss. It could look like:
- Constantly asking people to repeat themselves
- Feeling like everyone is mumbling (they’re not)
- Speech delay, or feeling like your brain needs a moment to “catch up” after someone speaks
- Feeling overwhelmed in a group conversation with multiple speakers
- Particular difficulty hearing people with high-pitched voices (e.g., women, children)
These signs are more subtle than they might seem. We instinctively come up with reasons why we have difficulty hearing, such as “there’s too much background noise; I got distracted,” or “you’re talking too quietly!” In fact, the issue might be your hearing.
Background Noise Seems Louder
It seems counterintuitive—after all, if you have hearing loss, why would sounds seem louder?—but it’s true; many people find background noise louder and/or more noticeable in the beginning stages of hearing loss. This is because the auditory processing center, the part of your brain that filters, processes and perceives sound, has to work harder and uses up more energy, and as a result, it doesn’t filter out background noise nearly as well as it used to.
Turning the Volume Up
A classic example of hearing loss, but easy to miss, because we often turn the volume up a notch or two without even thinking about it. However, if the people around you are starting to complain that the volume on the TV is too loud, it’s probably time to consider a hearing test.
It’s Been Five Years (Or More)
Sometimes, you shouldn’t even wait for a “sign” of hearing loss. We recommend that you be proactive with checking your hearing and come in for a hearing test, especially if you’re at a higher risk of hearing loss (perhaps due to working in a loud environment or being over the age of 71). If you know it’s been a couple of years since your last test, or if you’ve never had a hearing test at all, it’s a good idea to come in and at least establish a hearing health baseline so you can track changes over time.
If it’s time for you to book a hearing test, call us at Aspen Audiology. We’d be happy to schedule you and start your hearing journey with you.