Many people believe hearing loss only happens to the aged, which isn’t entirely the case. Regardless of your age, hearing loss can sneak up on you due to several factors. Hearing loss may be common among the aged, but it can also occur at any time in a person’s life, even from birth. But for many people, hearing loss is a gradual process and one that sneaks up on them without them releasing.
It can happen slowly and be difficult to detect if you’re not paying close attention. That’s usually because there aren’t too many things you regularly hear from a specific distance. So, this article will explain how hearing loss can easily sneak up on you and help you to detect the signs before it’s too late.
How the Brain Perceives Sound
Sounds travel as vibrations through the ear canal to the eardrums in both ears. The vibrations then stimulate the cochlea while moving through the middle ear bones. This stimulation process is what helps to transmit the message to the brain to decode. Hair cells in the inner ear also pick up different sounds translated by the brain. But when your cochlea is exposed to excessive noise levels, the hair cells can be damaged and fail to respond. And this can affect your ability to hear and understand sounds.
Why Hearing Loss is Difficult to Detect
Hearing loss can be difficult to detect sometimes when it happens because of a natural degenerative process. The loss tends to progress gradually, and the symptoms won’t be noticeable overnight. Instead, the problem tends to compound with time. And many people do not notice any problem with their hearing at the beginning stages. Most people write off the tiniest early signs they may notice, as the changes are so minimal that they pose no challenges to daily life.
How to Spot the Early Signs and Symptoms
While writing off early warning signs is easy, you shouldn’t because they progress with time until it’s too late. So, whenever you experience any degree of hearing issue, no matter how small it is, visit your audiologist immediately. Here are the best ways to spot early signs and symptoms of hearing loss.
- Go for regular screening: You’re never too young to have periodic hearing and ear screenings. You may feel that your ear health and hearing are fine, but such screenings or examinations can help your audiologist detect early problems you aren’t aware of before they progress. They can also address it early before it’s too late.
- Don’t ignore comments from those around you: One interesting thing about hearing loss is that those around you may be the first to notice the symptoms. It’s easy not to pay attention to sounds you don’t hear anymore because you can’t hear them anymore. But if your friend or family constantly prompts you about having to repeat themselves when talking to you, that’s something you should never ignore. Even when others don’t prompt you but notice you find it difficult to have regular conversations without asking people to repeat themselves, that may be an early warning sign.
- You’re suddenly turning the volume higher: You used to be okay with listening to music or watching a video at a mid-level volume. But lately, you need to turn the volume up louder to hear. If that sounds familiar, you may be experiencing hearing loss and need to see an audiologist as soon as possible.
- The sounds appear muffled: For most people experiencing early stages of hearing loss, it’s not just the volume of sound that becomes a problem. Even the sound you hear begins to drop in quality. If sounds you hear are getting increasingly muffled, then there could be a problem with the clarity of your hearing.
Hearing Loss Can Be Treated When Diagnosed
Immediately you notice any of the signs listed above, please do not hesitate to visit an audiologist as quickly as possible. While hearing loss cannot be reversed, it can be addressed by seeking expert assistance early. The best treatment solution will depend on the results of your diagnosis and the extent of your hearing loss. But the treatment could range from recommended lifestyle changes to hearing aid devices.
So, do you feel like hearing loss is sneaking up on you? Are you unsure about your hearing health? Please do not hesitate to speak with an audiologist now. You can also contact us to learn more about The Hearing Center at York ENT by calling (717) 850-9269.
