When should you be concerned about hearing loss?

An audiologist talks about when we should be concerned about our hearing and why we should put down that cotton swab.

One of the first signs is increased difficulty understanding people. It may sound like everyone is mumbling or not speaking very clearly. Often the people around us notice our hearing loss before we do. If your loved ones are telling you that you are turning the TV up too loud or if you find yourself asking "what?" more often, it's a good sign to have your hearing tested.

It's possible, although not as likely as you might hope. It is a good idea to have your hearing and ears examined if you are noticing increased difficulty hearing. Some ear wax is completely normal and won't affect your hearing, but your audiologist will be able to tell you for sure and recommend it be removed if it is affecting your hearing.

NO! I know everyone loves cotton swabs, but they can actually do more harm than good. They tend to push wax even further into the ear canal causing more problems. Repeated use may keep pushing the wax up against your eardrum making it harder to remove and potentially becoming painful or hurting your eardrum. Our ears for the most part are actually self-cleaning and are designed to have ear wax for a reason. If you feel like you have excessive ear wax, visit your audiologist or ENT.

Hearing loss can have many different causes: noise exposure, infection, age or even genetics. Genetics can make some people more predisposed to hearing loss. If members of your family have hearing loss, it is a good idea to have your hearing tested earlier than later to monitor your hearing.

An estimated 48 million Americans have some degree of hearing loss, but only 1 in 5 who could benefit from a hearing aid actually uses one. About 22% of Americans are exposed to hazardous noise levels in the workplace that could lead to damage to hearing. While hearing loss is more common than people may realize, it often goes untreated. Hearing loss can significantly impact many areas of our lives, including physical health, emotional and mental health, our social lives, self-esteem, family relationships and work and school performance.

The only way to know for sure if you need a hearing aid is to have your hearing tested. If you have any signs of hearing loss or any concerns you should see an audiologist to have a comprehensive hearing evaluation. Many people may not realize the sounds they are missing until they get hearing aids and have access to them again.

It is normal to be sensitive to some sounds, however if you are overly sensitive to certain sounds it could be something known as hyperacusis. Hyperacusis, while rare, is when ordinary, everyday sounds seem much louder than they are and are intolerable. If you just find certain sounds to be annoying or slightly irritating that is normal. However, if you find these sounds to be extremely bothersome you should speak with an audiologist.

As long as you keep the volume at a safe level, either earbuds or headphones are good options. If the music is loud enough that others can hear it, then it is loud enough to potentially damage your hearing. Turn it down! There are headphones available that are designed to not go over a safe volume level, and some phones will even allow you to set a volume limit when listening with earbuds. Listening to loud music can pose a risk for hearing loss whether it is through headphones or standing close to a loud speaker at a concert. One study did find that 12.5% of children between the ages of 6 and 19 have hearing loss as a result of listening to loud music at unsafe volumes.

While hearing loss tends to be thought of as an issue that comes with age, we actually see a wide variety of ages with hearing loss. Some hearing loss can be noise-induced but not always. Listening to loud music can pose a risk for hearing loss whether it is through headphones or standing close to a loud speaker at a concert. One study did find that 12.5% of children between the ages of 6 and 19 have hearing loss as a result of listening to loud music at unsafe volumes. Since the introduction of universal newborn hearing screenings and hearing screenings in schools we are able to identify hearing loss much earlier than it used to be in the past. This is important because hearing loss can greatly affect a child's performance in school. Even a mild hearing loss can cause a child to miss 50% of classroom discussion.

If you notice the sensation of water in your ear after swimming and it does not disappear within a day you should see an ENT or your primary care physician. It is possible that the sensation of fullness or pressure could indicate an infection. A physician will be able to take a close look at your ear and determine what the problem may be and may prescribe ear drops. If this is something that seems to happen frequently, you can have custom swim molds made to prevent water from entering your ear. An audiologist can make these molds for you.