You may feel like your hearing is fine, but you cannot understand what people are saying to you. This is typically a sign of one of the most common types of hearing loss called high-frequency hearing loss. This hearing loss only affects the upper ranges, so you can hear some sounds fine, but not others. These sounds give meaning to words, so you may feel like sounds are loud enough, but not clear enough.
Other signs of hearing loss to be on the lookout for:
- Asking friends and family to repeat themselves
- Difficulty hearing the TV or telephone
- Difficulty understanding conversation in noisy situations, such as restaurants
- Frustration from family members who feel you do not understand them
- Feeling like people around you are mumbling or not speaking clearly
The first step is to have your hearing evaluated by an audiologist or hearing instrument specialist. Once you have that information, the professionals at your hearing center will be able to discuss your treatment options with you. In the vast majority of cases, hearing aids do help hearing loss. They can be programmed specifically for your needs, only giving you the extra volume in the ranges where you need it.
Find a hearing center in your area using the Find a Professional section of our website which features over 4300 independent hearing locations across the U.S.
