Do you find yourself often asking people to repeat what they say to you? Is it getting harder for you to hear the television when it is at a normal sound level? These problems could be evidence that you may be suffering from hearing loss.
There are five main signs that a person may be having problems with their hearing:
1. You may be experiencing hearing loss if you are hearing sounds and speech from others that are muffled.
2. You may have difficulty trying to understand the words that others are saying to you, especially if you are some place where there may be a lot of background noise.
3. You frequently ask others to repeat what they are saying, or you ask them to talk clearer and more loudly.
4. You may opt out of conversations often.
5. You may isolate yourself from social settings because you feel embarrassed.
Hearing loss may have several different causes. The way we hear is by the use of three major areas of the ear; the outer ear, the middle ear, and the inner ear. We hear by the conduction of sound waves that allow our brain to distinguish speech from all the different sounds. Causes of hearing loss include a buildup of ear wax, aging, exposure to loud noise on a continuous basis, and heredity. There are also medical factors that can cause hearing loss, including an ear infection, abnormal bone growth, and tumors of the outer or middle ear.
When a person develops some type of hearing problem that is becoming more and more noticeable to them on a daily basis, this is the time when they should see their doctor. Treatment is extremely important when it comes to hearing loss. The longer a person goes having trouble hearing sounds, the more damage the inner ear may receive. This could mean that the person might have to undergo surgery or need to wear a device for the rest of their life, such as a hearing aid.
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