Normally, the first stages of hearing loss develop slowly. You might find yourself asking your daughter to repeat something, disregarding it as mumbling or background noise. But as you think about this moment, a question emerges: Am I losing my hearing? It will be easier to recognize whether your own hearing is changing by understanding the sounds that go along with hearing loss.
Conductive hearing loss makes the world sound softer
For many, conductive hearing loss manifests as sounds that seem softer than they once did. You may not even recognize that you’ve been cranking the volume of the television up or that your friends and family regularly ask you to “speak up”.
What you might hear:
- In environments where there is lots of background noise, you have a harder time hearing clearly
- Needing people to talk louder
- The volume of sounds seem lower than they used to
Conductive hearing loss often makes everyday sounds seem far away or muffled.
The distorted sounds of sensorineural hearing loss
Besides becoming softer, sounds will frequently also be distorted for someone who has sensorineural hearing loss. Conversations might feel challenging as you struggle to distinguish between similar sounds.
What you may hear:
- Being able to hear some sounds but not others
- Difficulty distinguishing consonants from vowels, leading to misunderstandings
- Speech that sounds muddled or distorted
This distortion can create frustrating communication obstacles, where you think you comprehend what’s being said but misconstrue key details.
The intermittent sounds of tinnitus
Hearing loss frequently comes with tinnitus symptoms. It can present as persistent or periodic sounds that overlap with external noises.
What you may hear:
- Internal hissing or ringing sounds in your ears
- Ocean-like waves, crickets chirping, or the whooshing of wind
- Buzzing or static sounds
Tinnitus symptoms can manifest in lots of ways and can substantially impact quality of life.
Identifying the sounds of changing hearing
Hearing loss generally develops slowly, and being conscious of sounds that come along with it is essential for early treatment. It’s probably time to set up an appointment for a hearing assessment if you find yourself having trouble following along with conversations or needing people to frequently repeat what they said.
When to see a hearing specialist
If you think you are experiencing any kind of hearing loss or tinnitus, scheduling a hearing test is crucial. We can help clarify the state of your hearing and supply you with the best course of treatment. Your quality of life can be significantly improved by knowing what hearing loss sounds like. The health of your hearing is important so don’t wait to get the help you need.
Call us today to schedule your hearing test.