It is easy to tell if you yourself are experiencing hearing loss. After all, you start having difficulties hearing things and understanding things, and you might start talking louder too. However, if your loved one has hearing loss, they may not realize it, but this doesn’t mean you have to wait for them to find out before getting help.
There are signs you can identify to tell if your loved one has hearing problems. Here are some of them:
1. They Tend to Misunderstand Directions
If your loved one tends to misunderstand directions (or any other simple things you might say), they may have hearing problems. Although this is also a symptom of mental issues, it is not uncommon for people with hearing loss to misinterpret what they hear.
2. They Sit Closer to the TV
If your loved one tends to sit closer to the TV, they might have hearing problems. When people have hearing loss, they usually have to turn up the volume on the TV to hear things better and move closer to the screen to see if their favorite characters are in danger.
3. They Move Their Heads When They Talk
When someone has hearing loss, they sometimes have trouble discerning sounds, especially background noises. As such, they have to move their heads around to see if they can see the person from a better angle to determine what they’re saying. If your loved one constantly moves their head back and forth, they may have a hearing problem.
4. They Close One of Their Ears
This is often a sign of a hearing problem because if someone has hearing loss, they sometimes have a hard time hearing, especially in crowded places. If they cover their ears, they might be trying to block out the sounds to hear you better.
5. They Look Around When You Talk
People with hearing issues in a crowded area or at a noisy party tend to look around to get a sense of where a voice is coming from. If your loved one does this when you are speaking with them in such places, they may have hearing problems.
6. They Say “What?” a Lot
When people have hearing loss, they tend to say “What?” a lot, and this can be frustrating for the person speaking. Of course, this isn’t to say that your loved one isn’t frustrated as well, but it is a good sign that they may have some form of hearing loss.
7. They Don’t Use Their Hearing Aid
Usually, if someone has mild hearing loss, they can use hearing aids to amplify sound and improve audibility. If your loved one is always telling you that they cannot hear you, but they don’t use or use hearing aids to help them out, it’s a sign of hearing loss.
8. They Are in Your Business a Lot
If your loved one is always in your business, they might have a hearing problem. If they have difficulty hearing what you say, they might feel the need to be more involved in your conversations so they can be aware of what is going on.
Conclusion
Hearing loss can be frustrating for both you and your loved one, but it is important to realize that it is not the end of the world. Depending on what kind of hearing loss your loved one has, there are different ways you can help them and make their lives easier. Maybe the person you love will have to get hearing aids, and maybe their hearing will improve with time. Either way, it is a good idea to bring this up to them and have them talk to an audiologist to get their hearing checked.
Hear More Associates offers expert hearing care specialists that can help individuals identify and address their hearing issues. If you are looking for the best hearing specialists in Massachusetts, get in touch with us today!
