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It starts with minor difficulties: you have to turn up the volume on the TV, the person you are talking to is “mumbling” or the background noise in the bar is so “loud” that you cannot have a conversation – hearing loss is insidious and usually progresses gradually. The WHO assumes that 1.5 billion people are affected worldwide. On the occasion of World Hearing Day on March 3rd, it is estimated that one in four people in Austria has poor hearing.
But when do you become hard of hearing? The decline in hearing performance usually happens slowly, and those affected are often unaware of it for a long time. In addition: “People waste a lot of energy trying to cover up the fact that they don’t understand everything – and as a result they are increasingly losing touch with social life,” says Thomas Aigner, state guild master audiologist. Like other routine checks, it is therefore important to have your ears checked regularly. In addition, there are typical warning signs to look out for:
Certain tones, especially high ones, disappear: “Hearing loss doesn’t mean that everything seems quieter overall. It manifests itself at the beginning in the fact that you can no longer hear mostly high-frequency tones. Sounds like “s” or “f” are difficult to understand at first. Words such as “journey” or “maturity” can be confused, and high-pitched sounds such as birdsong are not heard.
Noisy environment becomes annoying: Situations with a lot of background noise cause difficulties, for example conversations in crowded bars or at parties.
Pay attention to the volume: If you turn up the volume on the TV, radio or computer while others keep turning it down, hearing loss is obvious.
Source: Nachrichten
