Deaf Awareness Week takes place in the UK from 14th to 20th May this year. At The Hearing Centre we fully support this initiative and do our best to raise awareness of deafness all year round.
We regularly post information and advice on our blog pages, so that if you experience any problems with your hearing, you’ll find help and advice online as well as information about how our audiology specialists can help you.
One of the questions we think many people both locally in and around Leicestershire as well as nationally, will be asking is ‘What are the signs of hearing loss?’ Our latest article has been written with this in mind. From the not-so-obvious to the clear yet still easy-to-ignore symptoms of hearing loss, we’ve covered all that we can think of to help you or your friends and family recognise when someone is losing their hearing.
Signs of hearing loss
- Does it feel as though the people you speak to the most have started to mumble or muffle their words?
- Do you struggle to hear people clearly when you’re in a crowded or busy area?
- When listening to someone speaking, are vowels clearer than consonants?
- Do you ever have to ask someone to speak more slowly so that you can watch their lips as they’re speaking?
- Do you have the television or radio turned up higher than it used to be?
- Are higher pitched sounds clearer to you than dulcet tones? For example, a woman speaking is clearer than a man with a deep voice
- If you cover your ears, can you hear ringing?
- Do you notice yourself turning one ear towards people when you’re listening to them speak?
- Do you feel tired after listening to people talk for long periods of time?
- Do you struggle to hear people on the telephone, even with the volume turned up?
Is my hearing loss normal?
Another question that many people will be thinking of if not asking, is whether their hearing loss is normal. In some instances, people can mistake hearing loss for others speaking quietly or mumbling or they may just blame it on being in noisy environments. Often this is because recognising that you’re losing your hearing is hard emotionally as well as physically.
However, hearing loss at any age is quite common. Statistics from Action on Hearing Loss say that there are 11 million people in the UK with hearing loss. Of those, there are 50,000 children with hearing loss and 900,000 people who suffer from severe or profound hearing loss.
Obviously, the older you get, the more likely you are to start losing your hearing. Action on Hearing Loss states that more than 40% of people over 50 years old have hearing loss and this figure rises to 71% for people aged above 70 years old.
If you’re starting to lose your hearing, you’re certainly not alone. Many people will be experiencing exactly the same as you.
Advice about hearing loss
The good news is, there are plenty of ways to improve your hearing and the experts at The Hearing Centre can help you to find the best solution tailored to your hearing needs. Contact us on 0116 254 3909 or email info@hearingcentre.com to arrange an appointment at our clinic in Leicester.