Do I Have Hearing Loss? How to Know If You Are at Risk

Hearing loss affects approximately 1 in 5 people in the general population. This is an enormous subset of the population, and although the degree of hearing damage can be very mild, it is quite alarming to think that this statistic is increasing. It is predicted that in Australia, by the year 2050 this number will have increased to 1 in 4 in the general population.

Another alarming fact is that a large percentage of those affected by hearing loss aren’t even aware that the problems they encounter in every day communication and attention are a result of mild to moderate hearing loss.

Hearing problems can be brought on by a number of factors. It can be the result of chronic exposure to loud sounds, congenital defect, ototoxicity (as a long-term effect of prescription drugs) or disease. But hearing loss need not stay undiagnosed. There are a number of ways that you can identify a hearing problem.

The first question to ask is are you frequently misunderstanding what others are saying? Do your friend and family constantly become annoyed with you responding inappropriately? One of the first noticeable signs of a hearing defect is a difficulty in understanding spoken conversation.

Another way to detect hearing loss is to consider whether or not you have trouble following conversations when two or more people are talking at the same time. You may not realise it, but the hearing impaired will unconsciously compensate for their hearing loss by using other indicators to follow conversations (ie: body language, lip reading, context, etc). This is made much more difficult when multiple people are talking, so these situations can highlight hearing problems.

Hearing problems will be very noticeable during phone conversations. Do you notice that you have a great amount of difficulty in understanding what people are saying to you over the phone? This is an excellent way to detect hearing problems as there is no way for you to transfer meaning other than using sound. Note that this is not a fool-proof method; it could just be that you’re speaking over a bad phone line.

If you have difficulty hearing in situations where there is background noise, it may be an indication that you have some degree of hearing loss. For example; do you find it hard to understand what someone is saying while the TV or radio is playing in the background?

You should also pay attention if you find your friends and/or family constantly requesting that you turn down the TV or radio. Setting the volume too high on any appliance is an indication that you may be compensating for your hearing issues by making your appliances louder.

Another indication that you may have some degree of hearing damage is if you frequently think people are mumbling or speaking very softly. Pay attention if you find yourself reprimanding different people for speaking too quietly.

After asking these questions, the most important thing is to not take your realised outcome as a solid diagnosis. If you have even the slightest concern, it’s important that you speak to an expert audiologist at a hearing clinic. Only an expert can make the final call.