Are You Experiencing Hearing Loss?

Are You Experiencing Hearing Loss?

It’s important to understand and pinpoint the symptoms of hearing loss.

Just like fine lines and wrinkles, hearing loss also develops over time. Therefore, it isn’t always obvious when you are dealing with hearing loss, especially during the early stages. Our Olympia Fields, IL, Crown Point and Munster, IN, otolaryngologist Dr. Arthur Katz wants to make sure that you get the care you need to treat hearing loss early on. This means being able to spot the warning signs of hearing loss.

The main types of hearing loss include,

  • Sensorineural hearing loss: the most common type caused by damage to hair cells
  • Conductive hearing loss: a less common form of hearing loss that results in damage or trauma to the outer or middle ear
  • Mixed hearing loss: this is a combination of sensorineural and conductive hearing loss

The symptoms of sensorineural hearing loss include,

  • Having trouble understanding women and children
  • Having trouble hearing certain sounds like the phone or the doorbell
  • Hearing people but don’t know what they are saying
  • Having difficulty understanding words with consonants such as s, h, f or th

The symptoms of conductive hearing loss include,

  • Trouble hearing out of one ear more than another
  • Pressure or pain in one or both ears
  • Trouble hearing soft sounds no matter the pitch

Mixed hearing loss can affect one or both ears and symptoms of both sensorineural and conductive hearing loss may be present.

While we often associate hearing loss with adults, children can also develop hearing loss. Soon after your child is born your doctor will perform a newborn infant hearing screening. Of course, not all forms of hearing loss are detected at birth. Symptoms of childhood hearing loss include,

  • Speech delays
  • No startle response to loud noises
  • Poor academic performance
  • Behavioral issues
  • A learning disability

General symptoms of hearing loss include,

  • Voices sound muffled
  • It sounds like people are mumbling
  • You ask people to repeat themselves often
  • You have trouble understanding conversations in noisy environments
  • You often watch lips rather than make eye contact with talking
  • You can’t pinpoint where a sound is coming from
  • You find yourself exhausted after social events
  • You experiencing ringing in your ears (tinnitus)
  • You have trouble hearing people on the phone

If you are having trouble understanding those around you then it warrants scheduling a hearing screening with our ENT team. Call one of our offices in Munster or Crown Point, IN, or Olympia Fields, IL, today to schedule a consultation.