Autoimmune Disease Management 101: Fighting Back

What Did You Say? You Can't Hear Well?

There are some people who tend to be more perceptive than others. If you are a person who doesn't always spot the signs of things going on right away and you sometimes need things to be pointed out to you, then you should educate yourself on some of the signs that can indicate to you that a person may be suffering from some hearing loss. Knowing the signs can help you recognize if you start to have issues or if anyone else that you care about starts to have issues and they aren't realizing it. Here are some of the signs you want to watch for that can warn you someone, including yourself, may not be hearing as well as in the past:

Ringing in the ears – There are many reasons why a person can experience tinnitus. Tinnitus is a condition in which a person hears a constant ringing in their ears. If you are experiencing this, then you may not understand that this can cause you to hear less than before you had the tinnitus start. This condition can be caused by ear damage, certain medications, stress and certain health conditions. The problem with this condition is you will hear the ringing in your ears even while you are talking to someone or listening to someone on the TV or radio. You may think you are hearing the same, but you really aren't.

Always asking people to repeat themselves – Most everyone has encountered that person who talks really low or has a bit of an issue with mumbling their words. It's only natural that you may have a hard time understanding what they are saying and need to ask them to repeat themselves. However, if you are noticing that it all of a sudden seems like everyone is now talking lower or mumbling what they are saying, then the problem may be more with your ears than it is about their speech. If it seems like you need to ask someone to repeat them in almost every conversation that you are having, then it may be time to have your ears checked.

You start to think all your speakers are acting up – If you have your TVs, computers, phones and other electronics set to a specific volume that you have always been able to hear them comfortably at, then it would only make sense that you should be able to continue hearing them at that level. If you are suddenly finding yourself reaching for those dials and remotes to crank up the volume and you are wondering why it seems like all of your speakers have chosen around the same time to act up, it really may be your ears. Before you throw out all your electronics for new ones, you should go in and have your hearing checked instead.

Visit offices like the Abingdon Falls Plaza Hearing Center to learn if you are a candidate for hearing aids.