I Think I have a Hearing Loss

Any of the following are signs that you might benefit from having your hearing tested and your hearing problems managed:

You are beginning to find it difficult to hear conversation when you are in a group or where there is background noise
You may have difficulty understanding the higher pitched voices of women and children. Higher pitched consonants such as ‘f’, ‘k’, ‘p’, ‘s’, ‘sh’, and ‘t’ may be out of your hearing range
Those around you have commented on the need to raise their voices or repeat phrases when talking to you
You complain that people are mumbling and not speaking clearly
You have to turn the TV or radio volume higher than may be acceptable to other family members or friends
You have to concentrate increasingly hard to follow a conversation, which is tiring
You don't hear certain sounds or alarms that you previously heard well, such as the microwave timer, clock chimes, the phone ringing, especially mobile phones.
You are easily startled when someone approaches you, as you didn't hearing them coming.
You find it hard to tell where a sound is coming from
Friends and family get frustrated having to repeat things to you over and over again.
You rely on the person sitting next to you to relay what someone has said.

If any of this sounds familiar, maybe you should be doing something about it!

But why am I losing my hearing?

Hearing loss can happen for many reasons. Some people lose their hearing along with the ageing process. This condition is known as presbyacusis. Presbyacusis tends to follow a family pattern.

Another typical hearing loss is from exposure to excessive noise. This condition is known as noise-induced hearing loss. Typically construction workers, farmers, musicians, mill workers, and people in the armed forces have hearing problems because of too much exposure to loud noise.

Quite often, along with hearing loss people experience a ringing, hissing, or roaring sound in the ears, called tinnitus.

Hearing loss can also be caused by a virus or bacteria, heart conditions or stroke, head injuries, tumors, and certain medicines.

So what technology is available to help me?