Signs of Hearing Problems

Hearing problems can start at any age but are most likely to occur in older adults. Causes of hearing loss can be hereditary, like the hardening of the stapes bone in the middle ear. Injury and chronic infections can also affect hearing. When hearing loss is gradual, it is not always noticeable right away. People suffering from hearing loss often do not recognize the condition until a friend or family member brings it to their attention.

Signs

• According to MayoClinic.com, hearing loss can include signs such as asking people to repeat themselves, speech that is muffled and hard to understand, continually turning up the volume on the TV and problems hearing certain words or tones in a crowd.

  Eventually people with hearing problems will withdrawal from social settings and conversations. They feel isolated from communicating with others. In addition, the University of California at San Francisco Medical Center lists some hearing loss symptoms as missing the punch line on a joke. You can tell that the person did not hear it because their facial expression does not change. You might notice that the person stares directly at people when they are talking.

  To avoid acknowledgement of the hearing loss, some people will try to bluff their way through a conversation, pretending to have heard every word.

Test Your Hearing

• The National Institute on Deafness has created a quick test for people who think they may have a problem hearing.

  There are 10 questions that can reveal the need for an evaluation by a physician. Some questions are related to conversation and the ability to follow what people are saying. One question deals with hearing women or children speak because higher tones can be more difficult to hear in some cases.

  Hearing loss can cause anxiety, frustration and a sense that people are angry with you. It can cause depression, and it can be difficult to convince a person that he has hearing loss.

  Taking part in a test can be less confrontational and more convincing.

Decibels and Hearing Loss

• Workers exposed to high decibel noise must wear ear protection that is required by federal law. Here's an example of some noises: a washing machine is in the safe range at 70 decibels; heavy city traffic is at 90 decibels and is the maximum range allowed for an eight-hour period for workers. The injury range and a sign hearing loss might be imminent includes an ambulance siren at 120 decibels; the blast of a 12-gauge shotgun at 165 decibels; and a rocket launch at 180 decibels.