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About Hearing Loss

An estimated 10% of the world’s population has a hearing loss and one in five people between the ages of 40 and 60 have a hearing loss.

If you have a hearing loss, you are not alone - it can happen to anybody and it often comes gradually with age. As hearing loss often worsens gradually, many people simply aren’t aware of the problem – they attribute their hearing difficulties to other causes and gradually change their lives.

Ten warning signs of hearing loss

If you experience one or more of these warning signs repeatedly, you may have a hearing loss:

  • 1. People seem to mumble more frequently.
  • 2. You experience ringing in your ears.
  • 3. You often ask people to repeat themselves.
  • 4. Your family complains you play the radio or TV too loudly.
  • 5. You no longer hear normal household sounds, such as the dripping of a faucet or the ringing of a doorbell.
  • 6. You have difficulty understanding a conversation when in a large group or crowd.
  • 7. You have trouble understanding all of the words in a conversation.
  • 8. You find telephone conversation increasingly difficult.
  • 9. You have trouble hearing when you have your back turned to the speaker.
  • 10. You have been told that you speak too loudly.

If you suspect you have a hearing loss, what should you do?

The best thing to do is make an appointment for a hearing test with a hearing care professional. If you have a hearing loss your hearing care professional will advise you on your options for help.