Hearing loss and its symptoms

Hearing loss - the first symptoms

In many cases, the hearing of those affected deteriorates so insidiously that they hardly notice anything at first. Hearing loss manifests itself with symptoms that are initially subtle: Those affected think that people around them are mumbling, that their partner is speaking too softly - until one day the television is turned up so loud that it disturbs others.

Hearing loss gradually worsens: the affected persons are gradually cut off from the world of sounds without first noticing it. Hearing loss and its symptoms can therefore lead to social exclusion if they are not recognised and treated.

Hypoacusis symptoms can have various reasons

The symptoms of hearing loss vary depending on the severity of the hearing loss. They range from occasional difficulty understanding words to inability to communicate with others.

The symptoms of hearing loss are always very similar, but can have many causes.

Usually, the high-pitched sounds are lost first, such as birdsong or similar sounds. It becomes difficult to distinguish the consonants "S" and "F".

You should pay attention to the following abnormalities in yourself or your partner, because they can already be hypoacusis symptoms:

• The most common symptom of hearing loss is difficulty following a conversation when several people are talking at the same time or in loud background noise, for example at parties or in restaurants.
• People may feel as if other people are mumbling or speaking indistinctly.
• Fellow human beings are poorly understood (especially on the telephone), so the person concerned has to ask questions frequently. Often they also answer something that is wrong in content.
• Other people complain that the television or hi-fi system is too loud.
• Those affected do not hear the ringing of the telephone or the doorbell.
• The person concerned sometimes has problems determining the direction from which a sound is coming.
• If they have to listen with concentration for a long time, people with hearing loss often feel tired or stressed afterwards.
• Another symptom of hearing loss is that the affected person suffers from ringing in the ears (tinnitus).
  These points help to recognise hearing loss. If they occur more frequently in your family or in people close to an Ear, Nose and Throat doctor is advisable to check your hearing for function and performance.