Hearing loss is a common complaint among adults. Although you might expect to gradually become hard of hearing with age, you may not expect how much hearing loss can impact your life. You may miss out on parts of conversations and participate less in activities, resulting in a less-active social life. Decreasing interactions with friends, family, and colleagues can lead to feelings of isolation and loneliness which can decrease your motivation to complete your regular activities.

While it’s usually a problem associated with older people, younger adults are also at risk of hearing loss. According to research, around 36 million Americans suffer from hearing loss and while 95% of them could use the help of a hearing aid, only 23% of them use one.

If you notice any of these key signs, it’s time to get your ears checked.

Difficulty interacting with others

Perhaps the biggest and most obvious sign that you might be hard of hearing is constantly asking people to repeat themselves. It might sound like everyone around you is mumbling and that you need to constantly ask them to speak up or repeat themselves.

While this might feel frustrating and embarrassing for you, it will also heavily affect your relationships with your partner, friends, and other members of your family who might feel that their relationship is strained with you and they can’t properly connect with you in the same way as before.

When you’re hard of hearing, places with lots of background noise can become really difficult to have a conversation in.

If you find yourself having more difficulty than usual hearing in restaurants or at parties when there are lots of people having different conversations, it’s a sign that you should get your ears checked.

When you can’t hear properly, it makes it difficult to fully take part in conversations and feel included in activities with friends and family. It is emotionally straining to feel like you are not part of conversations and group events, which can take a toll on your happiness and sense of belonging. 

As soon as you feel you’re less active than before in family gatherings, parties, and meals at restaurants, it’s time to get your ears checked so that you can start being a part of family events and conversations again. 

Difficulty talking on the phone

Being hard of hearing can make it particularly challenging to hear well and hold a conversation when talking on the phone. This only becomes more difficult when there’s background noise and other people talking on the other end of the phone.

Not only is it uncomfortable to have to keep asking someone to repeat themselves, but your trouble hearing can cause you to avoid important calls. Your family and friends might also notice a decline in frequency of your phone calls. Hearing loss can severely impact your personal and professional life which is why, rather than putting off phone calls, you should get your ears checked by a specialist.

Problems hearing everyday sounds

If you’re not hearing everyday sounds that you used to, it might be time to get your hearing checked. Some examples of this include oversleeping because you don’t hear your alarm or not reaching the phone in time because you can’t hear the ring tone. 

If you find it hard to hear sounds that you previously were able to hear, it’s likely a sign that you’re suffering from hearing loss and you should get your ears checked.

Cranking up the volume

If you always have to turn up the volume so high on the tv and radio that others in the room complain about how loud it is, you’re probably suffering from hearing loss. As soon as you start hearing less, and having to turn the volume up to the highest level each time you watch TV or listen to music, you need to get your ears checked.

Ringing in your ears (tinnitus)

If you hear a constant ringing sound in your ears, don’t ignore it—it’s a common red flag that precedes hearing loss. The ringing can also get worse after long exposure to loud noises. Known as tinnitus, the ringing shouldn’t be ignored and is a key sign that you need to get your ears checked.

Hearing Health Screenings at Voyage Healthcare

Having difficulty hearing can impact your life on so many levels and leave you feeling isolated. The good news is that many times, hearing loss can be helped with the use of hearing aids. Don’t ignore the problem and allow it to get worse—instead, be proactive and get a hearing screening. 

At Voyage Healthcare, we offer a full menu of hearing-related services performed by licensed clinical staff:

1. Detailed patient history, physical exam and symptom review
2. Comprehensive 4-part audiometry
3. Video otoscopy
4. Referral for ENT specialty consultation as needed
5. Hearing Instrument selection and fitting
6. Hearing Instrument programming and fine-tuning
7. Cleaning and repair

If you are not sure where to go, our medical professionals at Voyage Healthcare would be happy to help. Schedule an appointment online today!