Hearing loss symptoms

The signs of hearing loss are more obvious than you think.

One in six adults 18 and older has hearing loss. Here are ways to tell if you or someone you love might have hearing loss.

Common signs of hearing loss

You frequently ask others to repeat themselves

If you find yourself saying “what?” all the time, or you need to be looking at someone to hear what they’re saying (by also reading their lips), your hearing might be fading.

You turn the TV to a volume others find loud

When you can’t have a conversation because your TV is too loud, it’s time to get a hearing test.

You have trouble understanding conversations in noisy places

This is one of the first challenges people with hearing loss encounter: tracking what someone else is saying in a noise-filled place like a restaurant.

You have difficulty hearing women and children’s voices

High-frequency hearing loss is very common — so it’s to be expected that women and children’s voices would be tough to hear.

You feel like others are mumbling

A classic complaint of people who have hearing loss is that others don’t speak clearly. If you find yourself thinking people are mumbling and hard to understand, that may be a symptom of hearing loss.

You have trouble hearing on the phone

If you have trouble occasionally, that is OK. If you constantly feel like you cannot hear on the phone, whether you’re using a landline or mobile phone, this may be a symptom of hearing loss.

You avoid social situations that were once enjoyable

People who can’t engage easily, feel left out of conversations, or who have bad experiences trying to hear in public spaces often decide it’s easier to decline invitations and stay at home. It doesn’t have to be this way.

You have ringing in your ears

Ringing in your ears is often thought to be a symptom of hearing loss or damage to the auditory system — and hearing loss and tinnitus very often go hand in hand.

You are told by others that you have hearing loss

If more than one friend or family member questions your hearing acuity — in seriousness or jest — guess what? They could be onto something.