Symptoms of hearing loss
There are different types of hearing loss and
differing degrees of severity, but you may have a hearing loss if
you experience one or more of the following:
- You can hear people speaking but you have difficulty
understanding what they are saying
- You frequently have to ask people to repeat what they have
said
- You have difficulty working out where sounds are coming
from
- You understand more of what is being said if you are looking at
the person speaking to you
- Friends and family complain that you have the TV or radio
turned up too high
- You cannot hear clearly in noisier places such as a busy
restaurant
- You strain to hear at a distance such as in a theatre or
church
- You complain that others are mumbling
- You feel left out in conversations
- You do not hear the doorbell or telephone
- You miss jokes because you didn't hear all of what was
said
- You have difficulty hearing children's voices
- You can no longer hear soft sounds such as birds singing
- You have a history of exposure to loud noise, e.g. working in
the construction industry
- You need to ask colleagues about the details of a meeting or
presentation you attended
We recommend that you have a free hearing test
if:
- You experience any of the above symptoms
- You can't hear as well as you used to
- You're over 50 and have never had a hearing test
- It's more than a year since you last had a hearing test
- You have a hearing aid but you don't use it
- Family and friends tell you they are worried about your
hearing
- You have a family history of hearing loss
- You have a history of exposure to loud noise, such as working
in the construction industry or in entertainment
