For some people, the idea of losing their hearing is terrifying. But sadly, as we age, our ability to hear worsens due to the hair cells in our inner ear becoming damaged or dying. These hair cells do not grow back, so any damage to these cells causes permanent damage to our hearing. Many factors can contribute to age-related hearing loss, such as a family history of hearing problems, a repeated exposure to loud noises, smoking, certain medical conditions such as diabetes and some medicines such as chemotherapy drugs administered for cancer.
Signs that you need a hearing test:
Asking those around you to repeat themselves
Often a comical result of losing one’s hearing is the constant repetition of “what?” or “pardon?”. Your family and friends may laugh, but the situation of not hearing those around you very well can feel extremely isolating and embarrassing. This can make following conversations very difficult, meaning it’s hard to take part in either group or one-on-one discussion. This can be even more difficult if you can’t see the other person’s face and therefore cannot attempt to lip read. Sometimes, the person may find it so frustrating that they cannot hear clearly, that they could give up trying altogether. It’s incredibly important to tell loved ones if you feel they’re often having trouble hearing you, or to recognise it in yourself.
Turning up the volume
Have you ever watched the television within a group of people and someone has commented that it’s far too loud, even though you can barely hear it? This is a sign you may benefit from a hearing test. For many people, an increase in volume does not mean an increase in clarity, so what you find an acceptable volume may just be a loud mess to those around you, making them feel uncomfortable.
You feel tired much more than normal
If you find social interaction much more tiresome than you used to, this may be due to the unnecessary strain and effort you now need to put on focusing on responses. One-on-one conversations can become very tiring, with group conversations involving multiple speakers virtually impossible. If after work or social gatherings you feel extremely tired, this could point to an early sign of hearing loss.
You begin to experience tinnitus
Tinnitus is when we can hear continuous ringing, buzzing or humming in our ears, especially after loud exposures to noise. It’s believed that this happens when our brains try to fill the absence of certain sounds with a noise, which we label as tinnitus. If you have not yet been medically diagnosed with tinnitus but are experiencing these symptoms, it is extremely important to visit your GP. Following this, it is vital you have a hearing test since tinnitus is a clear symptom of hearing loss and it can happen at any age.
At Jonathan Hughes, we work with leading Audiologists and can provide one-stop consultations with hearing test assessments, as well as advanced vestibular (balance) and paediatric hearing tests. You can find more about the eat treatments
If you’re interested in a hearing test at Jonathan Hughes, you can contact us on 020 3897 0667, by emailing secretary.jonathanhughes@med-services.co.uk, or by visiting our contact page.