Hearing loss often creeps in gradually, making it easy to overlook. However, experts have highlighted the importance of being vigilant about some of the more subtle and early red flags.
RNID (Royal National Institute for Deaf People), the charity supporting those who are deaf, have hearing loss or tinnitus, is encouraging people to prioritise their hearing health and to take the charity’s free online check following results from its recent survey.
The survey of 1,810 people who had never been diagnosed with hearing loss, carried out for RNID, found almost half (47%) would struggle to hear leaves rustling in trees on a windy day, someone calling their name from another room (46%) and the sound of rainfall nearby (43%).
In addition, around four in 10 said they would not be able to hear cyclists ringing their bell (42%), someone knocking at their door (40%), or a phone ringing in a nearby room (39%) very clearly.
Crystal Rolfe, audiologist and director of health at RNID, said: “Struggling to hear certain sounds and frequencies in your daily life could be an indication of hearing loss.
“The sooner you recognise the signs and take action, the better. Getting support can bring huge benefits to people’s lives, so being aware of the sounds you might be missing is vital.”
In light of this research, we spoke to Ryan Reid, audiologist and group sales manager at The Hearing Clinic UK based in the Glasgow Saint Vincent Place head office, who highlighted six subtle signs of hearing loss that you should never ignore…
1. Turning the volume up on the TV
“The TV volume being turned up louder and louder is one of the most common things that family members often notice first,” says Reid. “People often blame the TV, or blame the actors on the TV, but the reason behind it usually is a lack of clarity in what they’re hearing, and making things louder doesn’t actually always make it clearer.
“People often don’t realise that the TV volume is creeping up until someone with normal hearing comes in and says oh, wow, the TV is very loud.”
2. Asking people to repeat themselves
“I would also look out for any family members who are regularly asking people to repeat themselves and say ‘sorry, what was that?’, especially in smaller groups,” says Reid. “This a common coping mechanism for people who are starting to struggle with hearing loss.”
3. Saying that people are mumbling
“Another common thing that people who struggle with hearing loss often say is that everyone they speak to mumbles, whether that’s on the TV or in person,” says Reid. “The reason for that is that early age-related hearing loss usually affects the high frequencies first and sort of blurs out speech. It affects things like consonants, like S, F, T, and sh type of sounds.
“When someone isn’t hearing these sounds very well, they don’t hear the full make up of the words, so don’t hear the clarity of it – therefore it’ll come across as if someone was mumbling.”
4. Struggling in noisy environments
“Most of my patients come in and say that they really struggle in noisy environments such as restaurants, cafes and gatherings,” says Reid. “With something like a cafe, for example, you’ve got lots of noises going on at once such as the coffee machine, children crying, plates, and people chatting. With early stages of age-related hearing loss, a lot of those sounds are overtaking what you’re actually able to hear from the person in front of you, so you’re not picking up on those consonants.
“What happens in a situation like this is that your brain starts to work overtime to fill in the gaps, and then eventually you can get listening fatigue which can leave people feeling really drained after being in these environments.”
5. Frequently mishearing words
“Another common sign is frequently mishearing words and picking up words incorrectly. They might hear the word three as free, for example,” says Reid.
“Many families and people who are suffering from hearing loss themselves may make a joke of it at the beginning because they’re trying to play it off as they’ve just misheard and that it’s not necessarily hearing loss. But this is definitely a sign to look out for.”
6. Starting to withdraw from social situations
“People might start to withdraw from social situations over time to avoid the busy, noisy environments,” says Reid. “For example, a family member who suddenly stops attending a club they previously enjoyed might have potentially done this because they’re not hearing very well in that social situation, so are pulling back there rather than going and not being able to hear, and maybe just don’t want to put themselves in that position.”
When should people seek professional advice?
“It’s never too early to have your hearing tested, as hearing loss can happen to anyone,” says Reid. “It’s very normal to have your eyes tested every few years and to go to the dentist every six months, but many people take hearing for granted.
“If you have any concerns about your hearing, speak to a professional and get it checked out. Dealing with it earlier is always better.”
