1) “I can hear, but I can’t understand you because you’re mumbling!”
This complaint is the most common one I hear! Most times, the perception of mumbling is caused by high-frequency hearing loss, the most common. Someone with high-frequency hearing loss will have no difficulty hearing low-frequency vowel sounds, but they will struggle to hear (or entirely miss) high-frequency consonants and blends such as “f,” “h,” and “sh.”
2) “I can hear men fine. I just can’t hear women.”
This complaint can also indicate untreated high-frequency hearing loss. Women and children’s voices are typically higher frequencies and will become challenging to hear for someone with this type of hearing loss.
3) “It’s too loud in this restaurant. I can’t hear anything!” Struggling to hear in background noise could indicate a moderate hearing loss or auditory processing disorder (APD). This is something I definitely counsel patients on daily. It can even be a problem for those who wear hearing aids. The reason is that low-frequency background noise covers up those important high-frequency constant sounds!
4) “Thanks for the invite, but I’m going to stay home.”
It Happens Slowly
Most of my patients don’t understand how slowly hearing loss progresses. I commonly hear from 40-50-year-olds that they are “not old enough” to have treatable hearing loss. However, hearing loss can happen to anyone and it rarely happens all at once. In fact, most types of hearing loss progress so slowly over the years that it is undetectable.
If you suspect that you or someone you know may have hearing loss, pay attention to the complaints you or they make.
Did you Know?
1) People with hearing loss tend to withdraw from social situations, purposely isolating themselves to avoid embarrassing situations caused by their inability to hear properly.
2) Those who are socially isolated, especially with hearing loss, increase their risk of cognitive decline, anxiety, and depression.
How we can help!
Do any of these complaints sound familiar?
My patients always tell me they wish they hadn’t hearing loss to dictate their life for as long as it did.
Don’t allow your hearing loss to hamper YOUR socialization habits. Reach out today by scheduling an appointment with us. We are here to help you identify and treat your specific type of hearing loss quickly and comfortably.
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