May is celebrated as the month of Better Hearing and Speech Month to spread awareness about communication disorders. However, hearing loss is a most common issue among many people. Here are a few early signs of hearing loss you should not ignore. Tap to know!
Difficulty Hearing
The most common sign of hearing loss is difficulty hearing in noisy environments due to damage to the inner ear, making it difficult to filter background noise from speech.
Tinnitus
Tinnitus or ringing in the ears, is also a sign of hearing loss. This symptom occurs when the auditory nerves or hair cells in the inner ear get damaged.
Mental Fatigue
Listening can become effortful when you are not able to understand what the person is saying, leading to mental fatigue. This can also be a sign of hearing loss.
Muffled or Unclear Voice
With age, the sounds or voices of people can become muffled or unclear due to weakened auditory nerves and damaged inner ear.
Clogged Ears
Sometimes the ears can become clogged due to excess fluid or wax buildup, which, when not removed can lead to temporary hearing loss.
Lip Reading
When you start having trouble hearing, you may try to read people’s lips instead of making eye contact. This can also be an early sign of hearing loss.
Unable to Hear Low-Volume
Hearing loss can make it difficult to hear low volume sounds, such as chirping of birds, ticking of clock, and more. It is because of the reduced sensitivity to low sounds.
Information Credits
According to PubMed, hearing loss occurs due to the damage of inner ear (cochlea) and auditory nerves. It is advisable to consult a healthcare professional if you are experiencing any of the mentioned symptoms.