Hearing loss can happen to anyone. Today more than 48 million Americans have some degree of hearing loss. Since hearing loss progression often happens gradually, the early symptoms can be subtle or easy to miss.
Whether you have noise--induced hearing loss, progressive hearing loss from aging, or some other type of hearing loss that occurs over time, the symptoms largely look the same. By knowing the common, early signs of hearing loss to watch for, you can more quickly recognize hearing loss progression and schedule a hearing test to take action. Early signs of hearing loss generally begin with one or more of the following experiences.
Many people develop adaptive behaviors—or habits—to help compensate for the progression of their hearing loss in social settings. They may not even realize they’re doing it! Learn more about the two most common early social signs of hearing loss.
Signs of hearing loss vary based on the kind of hearing loss you are experiencing and the severity of the loss. While many early symptoms may be similar, more specific symptoms by type include:
High frequency hearing loss: Difficulty hearing higher-pitched sounds, like women and children’s voices, birds chirping and consonants sounds like “f,” “s” and “th.”
Low frequency hearing loss: Difficulty hearing lower-pitched sounds like a dog barking, lawn mower or consonant sounds like “j,” “u” and “z.”
Cookie-bite hearing loss: Difficulty hearing mid-frequency sounds like normal human speech and music.
If several of these early signs and symptoms of hearing loss sound familiar, you may have hearing loss. It’s OK—you’re not alone. The first step you should take if you feel you may be suffering from hearing loss is to have your hearing checked by a Miracle-Ear Hearing Instrument Specialist. They'll help determine the degree of hearing loss, if any, and whether hearing aids could help. Thanks to the wide availability of hearing aid technology, hearing loss doesn’t have to control your life.
