Signs and symptoms may include these:
- The muffling of speech and other sounds.
- Difficulty understanding words, especially against background noise or in a crowd.
- Trouble hearing consonants.
- Frequently asking others to speak more slowly, clearly and loudly.
- Needing to turn up the volume of the television or radio.
Hearing loss that occurs gradually as you age is common. About one-third of people between the ages of 65 and 75 have some degree of hearing loss. For those older than 75, that number is approximately 1 in 2.
Hearing loss is defined as one of three types:
- Conductive (this involves outer or middle ear)
- Sensory-neural (this involves inner ear)
- and Mixed (which a combination of the two)
Along with age, chronic exposure to loud noises also contributes to hearing loss. Other factors, such as excessive earwax, can temporarily reduce how well your ears conduct sounds.
You can’t reverse most types of hearing loss. However, your hearing specialist can take steps to improve what you hear.
If you’re concerned then contact us at Edgecliff Hearing in East Sydney or Mac Hearing in Cambelltown.