Being Deaf vs. Being Hard of Hearing

Are you experiencing hearing loss? More than 50 million Americans are either hard of hearing or going deaf at a steady pace. There is a large percentage of these people who are children and young adults. Hearing loss can occur at any age. The earlier it is caught, the better chance you have to receive treatment and slow the progression of the loss.  

You need to take notice and acknowledge your hearing loss

Hearing loss can be tough for others to detect, unless you’re frequently around some of the same people and interact with them regularly. When you lose your hearing, your brain will automatically attempt to compensate for the loss by filling in the blanks. Because hearing loss is so gradual, many people who experience it tend to ignore the symptoms until it gets serious. 

Signs that you’re going deaf

In some cases, hearing loss can happen instantly after an accident or being exposed to dangerous levels of noise. Any sounds over 85 dB (decibels) can cause hearing loss. Overall, a decline in hearing happens gradually over time. This slow rate can help you recognize the signs of going deaf long before the ability to hear sound is entirely lost. 

There are many symptoms and obvious shifts in how you react to others that can suggest hearing loss. They don’t verify that hearing loss is absolutely present, but the following are signs that you should get your hearing tested by a professional:

• You frequently ask others to repeat what they said, especially when talking over the phone or in cases when there are no visual cues like body language or lip reading.

• You, or others, notice that you turn the volume up much louder to listen to the TV or music. You are constantly asked to turn the volume down. In a similar situation, if you raise the volume on your cell phone’s ringtone that may indicate gradual hearing loss in one, or both, of your ears. 

• You have a hard time following along during conversations if there are too many people speaking at the same time, especially while at an outdoor venue or during social gatherings. You may not catch everything that was said, or can’t identify who is speaking. 

• You feel stressed out at the thought of going to a social gathering, or talking to others in a video chat because you may miss some things that are said and are afraid to ask others to repeat themselves. This can lead to a lack of self-confidence, and social isolation, which can cause depression. 

• You miss phone calls, your alarm clock, and alarm systems (fire alarm or house alarm). You may have seen emergency vehicles and flashing lights, but couldn’t hear their sirens, even if there wasn’t a lot of background noise.

• You frequently tilt your head closer, move yourself closer or cup your hand behind your ear in order to hear someone better. This commonly happens if you experience high-frequency hearing loss, where women and children are much more difficult to hear.               
• You experience listening fatigue after a long conversation, or lecture. Hearing loss leads people to strain, attempt to focus on everything that is being said, and guess some of the information that is being stated. This can lead to exhaustion. Listening fatigue tends to leave people feeling mentally and physically exhausted. Rest is needed in order for you to feel recharged after interacting with others for an extended period of time. 

• You notice more prominent and frequent instances of buzzing, ringing, whistling or other signs of tinnitus. You may hear the noises in one or both ears, continuously or periodically. These symptoms can be common at night or if you stay in a quiet space.  

• You observe a deterioration in your cognitive skills, memory and mental processing. You may also find it difficult to learn new things due to the inability to gain a lot of information based on daily encounters or situations.

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• You can no longer notice sounds that you used to. This may be anything from the humming of your refrigerator to your favorite songs. Normally, high pitched sounds are lost when you begin to experience hearing loss. 

There are a number of reasons as to why you may experience temporary hearing loss, or not be able to notice sounds due to background noises. It could be noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) or hearing loss caused by an autoimmune disease. If you, or a loved one, are experiencing any of the signs of hearing loss that were previously listed, please contact us at Pure Sound Hearing for a free hearing test and consultation. We offer a variety of hearing aids that can help with your listening needs.  
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Please be aware that Pure Sound services will only be available by appointment and for essential visits at this time. Essential visits include all appointments that require new hearing aid fittings, repairs, and re-fittings. We ask that you please wait in your car, while wearing your mask, and place your hearing aids in a clean zip lock bag.  We will come to your car to get them. If you are having any problems with your hearing aids, or need supplies for your hearing aids, please call us before visiting one of our offices.

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