What Are The Early Signs Of Hearing Loss?

While deafness as a disease is often treated with stigma in society, it has to be detected early in order to prevent excessive damage. For this, one must acquaint oneself with the early signs of hearing loss:

• Symptoms of Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Damage to hair cells found in the nerve pathways of the inner ear causes this type of deafness, and the impairment manifests itself in symptoms that may become severe over time:

1. discomfort when exposed to loud sounds

2. difficulty receiving both high and low pitched noise

3. one ear may function better than the other

4. loss of clarity in deciphering speech

• Do Your Ears Feel “Clogged”?

Resulting in the reception of sound in a muffled and unclear manner, a build-up of fluid or wax can lead to this symptom. Consider getting your ears cleaned. If the problem still persists, you may have to go for a hearing test.

• You are Unconsciously Reading People’s Lips!

You must see a doctor immediately if you find yourself avoiding eye-contact with people, but struggling to follow their lips in order to understand what they are saying. The brain’s default function is to employ one sense (eyesight) more than the other (hearing) when the latter is unable to function properly. When you try to “see” sounds because you cannot hear them, it is likely that your hearing loss has become quite severe.

• Inability to Comprehend High-Pitched Sounds

The cells in the inner ear that facilitate comprehension of high-pitched sounds deteriorate with age, making it difficult to understand anyone speaking in a high-pitch. Symptoms manifest in one’s inability to hear beeping and chirping noises or the speech of children and women.

• Symptoms of “Cookie-Bite” Deafness

Characterized by difficulty in hearing mid-range frequency noises, a person suffering from “cookie-bite” loss of hearing may experience problems in hearing common everyday sounds (talking, listening to music, etc.), but they can understand high-frequency sounds easily.

Remember that even slight problems in hearing may have serious consequences. Consult your doctor at the earliest to prevent any lasting damage to your ears!