Four Overlooked Signs Of Hearing Loss
When it comes to hearing loss, it is easy to assume that the only indicator of this problem is a reduced ability to hear. While this symptom is a common marker of a problem, there are other signs of hearing loss that are not as overt.
Lip Contact, Not Eye Contact
The next time you are in a face-to-face conversation, pay attention to your eye placement. If you spend more time looking at the other person's lips than you do their eyes, it may be cause for concern. People with hearing loss may unconsciously look at the lips of the person speaking as a way to help determine what they might be saying. It is essentially an attempt to read their lips since you cannot hear what they are saying.
Loud Talking
Do friends and family often tell you that you are speaking loudly? If hearing loss is to blame for this recently developed habit, it is likely something you are not even aware of. When a person suffers from hearing loss, most sounds are muted and seem to be at a lower volume than they are, including their voice. As such, a person with hearing loss will sometimes speak loudly.
Change in Work Productivity
If your boss or co-workers have to frequently remind you of tasks you were supposed to complete, but have not, hearing loss could be to blame. For example, consider a scenario where a co-worker asks someone to do something passing in the hall. If the individual has hearing loss, they may not have heard the request or they may have heard the request wrong. Either way, the request goes unfilled, and their productivity declines. The better you hear, the more efficiently you can work.
Balancing Issues
A healthy hearing level does more than just help you hear the sounds around you; it also plays a role in determining how well you can maintain balance. The mechanisms that help you maintain a proper equilibrium and those that control hearing are housed in the same general area, and it is helpful to note that hearing also helps people sense their placement in a space. As a result, if there is an issue with hearing, it is common for balance issues to be a concern as well.
Do you recognize any of these issues? If the answer is yes, make an appointment with an audiologist or other hearing aid professional for an official diagnosis.