How’s your hearing? That’s a question many of us should ask ourselves. Hearing loss can creep up slowly — so you can’t always tell when you have a hearing problem at first. That makes it important to watch out for the possible signs:
For example, do you:
- Often ask people to repeat themselves?
- Have trouble hearing over background noise (such as in a restaurant), over the phone, or when two or more people are talking?
- Play the TV loudly, which might make others complain?
- Have difficulty hearing high-pitched sounds or understanding when women or children are talking?
- Notice that people seem to mumble a lot?
You don’t have to put up with hearing loss
Hearing problems are common, especially as we age. One reason is that, over time, exposure to loud sounds can harm our hearing.
If you don’t think you’re hearing as well as you used to, let your doctor know. You may need a hearing test to find out if you have hearing loss. If you do, hearing aids might be an option.
Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; National Institute on Aging