{"id":5603,"date":"2019-10-25T12:15:36","date_gmt":"2019-10-25T19:15:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/?p=5603"},"modified":"2020-01-31T11:06:03","modified_gmt":"2020-01-31T19:06:03","slug":"six-early-warning-signs-of-hearing-loss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/six-early-warning-signs-of-hearing-loss\/","title":{"rendered":"Six Early Warning Signs of Hearing Loss"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\n\t\t\"@context\":\"http:\/\/schema.org\",\n\t\t\"@type\":\"Article\",\n\t\t\"@id\":\"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/#article\",\n\t\t\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\n\t\t\t\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\n\t\t\t\"@id\":\"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/#website\"\n\t\t},\n\t\t\"isPartOf\":{\n\t\t\t\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\n\t\t\t\"@id\":\"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/#webpage\"\n\t\t},\n\t\t\"name\":\"Six Early Warning Signs of Hearing Loss\",\n\t\t\"author\":{\n\t\t\t\"@type\":\"Organization\",\n\t\t\t\"name\":\"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/#organization\"\n\t\t},\n\t\t\"datePublished\":\"2019-10-25\",\n\t\t\"dateModified\":\"2020-01-31\",\n\t\t\"keywords\":\"hearing aids, hearing loss, signs, symptoms\",\n\t\t\"image\":{\n\t\t\t\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\n\t\t\t\"url\":\"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/warning-sign-scaled.jpg\",\n\t\t\t\"description\":\"Six Early Warning Signs of Hearing Loss\"\n\t\t},\n\t\t\"articleSection\":\"As widespread as hearing loss is in Salem and across Oregon, it can be difficult to recognize the symptoms. Since October is National Audiology Awareness Month, it\u2019s the perfect opportunity to educate people on the early warning signs of hearing loss. Hearing Loss Isn\u2019t Always Obvious How many people have hearing loss in the U.S.?...\",\n\t\t\"articleBody\":\"Only about one out of every five individuals with a hearing impairment seeks treatment. There are various reasons for this, but many people simply don\u2019t know that they have a hearing problem. The condition usually develops gradually, and the brain does a remarkable job of filling in the gaps by borrowing cognitive resources from other key areas to help improve hearing.\",\n\t\t\"url\":\"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/six-early-warning-signs-of-hearing-loss\/\",\n\t\t\"headline\":\"Six Early Warning Signs of Hearing Loss\",\n\t\t\"publisher\":{\n\t\t\t\"@type\":\"Organization\",\n\t\t\t\"name\":\"Willamette ENT &amp; Facial Plastic Surgery\",\n\t\t\t\"logo\":{\n\t\t\t\t\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\n\t\t\t\t\"url\":\"\",\n\t\t\t\t\"description\":\"Willamette ENT &amp; Facial Plastic Surgery\"\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t}\n\t}<\/script><br \/>\nAs widespread as hearing loss is in Salem and across Oregon, it can be difficult to recognize the symptoms. Since October is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.audiology.org\/publications-resources\/consumer-information\/october\" title=\"American Academy of Audiology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">National Audiology Awareness Month<\/a>, it\u2019s the perfect opportunity to educate people on the early warning signs of hearing loss.<\/p>\n<h2>Hearing Loss Isn\u2019t Always Obvious<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Warning Sign\" src=\"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/warning-sign.jpg\" alt=\"warning sign on the side of road\" width=\"354\" height=\"236\" class=\"wp-image-5604 alignright\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>How many people have hearing loss in the U.S.?<\/h3>\n<p>It\u2019s estimated that <a href=\"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/services\/hearing-services\/hearing-loss\/\" title=\"hearing loss | Willamette Ear, Nose, Throat &amp; Facial Plastic Surgery\">hearing loss<\/a> affects roughly 20 percent of people in Salem to some degree. Yet, only about one out of every five individuals with a hearing impairment seeks treatment. There are various reasons for this, but many people simply don\u2019t know that they have a hearing problem.<\/p>\n<h4>How does hearing loss progress?<\/h4>\n<p>The condition usually develops gradually, and the brain does a remarkable job of filling in the gaps by borrowing cognitive resources from other key areas to help improve hearing. It\u2019s no wonder it takes the average person in Oregon seven years from the onset of hearing loss to actually book an appointment with an audiologist.<\/p>\n<p>By then, precious years have been squandered and options for treatment are fewer. Making matters worse? Untreated hearing loss increases your risk of developing a number of physical, social and psychological health complications including isolation, loneliness, stress, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mayoclinic.org\/diseases-conditions\/depression\/symptoms-causes\/syc-20356007\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"depression | mayoclinic.org\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">depression<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.alz.org\/alzheimers-dementia\/what-is-dementia\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"dementia | alz.org\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">dementia<\/a>. The sooner you get help for your condition, the better off you\u2019ll be.<\/p>\n<h2>Six early warning signs of hearing loss<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>\u201cHuh?\u201d is the most popular word in your vocabulary<\/strong>. If you frequently find yourself missing out on snippets of conversation and constantly asking others to repeat what they have just said, you may be experiencing high-frequency hearing loss. This makes certain consonant sounds hard to distinguish (e.g., \u201cshow\u201d and \u201cthrow\u201d). Women and children are particularly difficult to understand. Many people mistakenly believe that others are mumbling or not enunciating clearly, but it\u2019s unlikely that everybody else has suddenly forgotten how to speak properly. If you think you can fake your way through it by nodding your head or saying \u201cyes\u201d to anything you\u2019re asked, you are setting yourself up for potential embarrassment.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Your better half complains that you\u2019re watching TV too loudly<\/strong>. Look, we get it\u2014the \u201cCharles in Charge\u201d theme song is one catchy ditty. But if you\u2019re listening to it loudly enough to drown out a passing thunderstorm, something else might be amiss. Cranking up the volume to a level others find uncomfortable is one sure sign of hearing loss.<\/li>\n<li><strong>You have difficulty following telephone conversations<\/strong>. Many people prefer texting to actual telephone conversations these days. If your reasons for texting have less to do with emojis and more to do with the fact that you strain to follow conversations when speaking on the phone, it\u2019s quite possible that your hearing is betraying you. Don\u2019t even think about blaming it on a bad connection\u2014the only static you\u2019re hearing is between your brain and ears, the result of damage to the sensory hair cells in your inner ear that convert sounds into electrical impulses for the brain to interpret.<\/li>\n<li><strong>You hear a ringing in your ears (and nobody is standing on your front porch)<\/strong>. <a href=\"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/services\/hearing-services\/tinnitus-management\/\" title=\"Tinnitus | Willamette Ear, Nose, Throat &amp; Facial Plastic Surgery\">Tinnitus<\/a> is the sensation of a phantom sound in your ears, often described as a ringing, though it may also resemble a buzzing, hissing, roaring, whooshing, clicking or other noise. Tinnitus is the result of damaged hair cells \u201cmisfiring\u201d and is often associated with hearing loss.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Following conversations in noisy environments is all but impossible<\/strong>. Background noise is inescapable; it\u2019s especially pronounced in restaurants, bars and other public places. We all strain to hear when there\u2019s lots of background activity, but if your struggles are accompanied by mental and physical fatigue, you are probably experiencing \u201clistener fatigue,\u201d a hallmark sign of hearing loss.<\/li>\n<li><strong>You become a hermit<\/strong>. Listener fatigue is enough to make many people withdraw from social activities, choosing to isolate themselves in the comfort of their own home rather than struggle with trying to hear. If you find yourself staying home instead of enjoying activities that once brought you pleasure, you may have hearing loss.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you are experiencing the following signs and haven\u2019t had your hearing checked, schedule an appointment with a <a href=\"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/hearing\/hearing-center\/our-providers\/\" title=\"Salem audiologist | Willamette Ear, Nose, Throat &amp; Facial Plastic Surgery\">Salem audiologist<\/a> for a hearing evaluation. Better to be safe than sorry; the sooner a problem is detected, the faster it can be treated.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>Related Ear, Nose &amp; Throat Posts:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/relationships-can-shine-with-better-communication\/\" title=\"Relationships Can Shine with Better Communication\"><strong>Relationships Can Shine with Better Communication<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/how-to-be-a-better-colleague-to-coworkers-with-hearing-loss\/\" title=\"How to be a Better Colleague to Coworkers with Hearing Loss\"><strong>How to be a Better Colleague to Coworkers with Hearing Loss<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/hearing-loss-affects-kids-too\/\" title=\"Hearing Loss Affects Children Too\"><strong>Hearing Loss Affects Children Too<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>Our Salem ENT Doctors Location<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/place\/3099+River+Rd+S,+Salem,+OR+97302\/@44.912378,-123.0716983,17z\/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x54c000b91bd0c3eb:0x8cac0646899da106!8m2!3d44.912378!4d-123.0695096\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Audiologist on River Rd S map directions\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Salem<\/strong><\/a><br \/>\n3099 River Rd S<br \/>\nSalem, OR 97302<br \/>\n(503) 581-1567<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As widespread as hearing loss is in Salem and across Oregon, it can be difficult to recognize the symptoms. Since October is National Audiology Awareness Month, it\u2019s the perfect opportunity to educate people on the early warning signs of hearing loss. Hearing Loss Isn\u2019t Always Obvious How many people have hearing loss in the U.S.?&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5812,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","schema":"","fname":"","lname":"","position":"","credentials":"","placeID":"","no_match":false,"name":"","company":"","review":"","address":"","city":"","state":"","zip":"","lat":"","lng":"","phone1":"","phone2":"","fax":"","mon1":"","mon2":"","tue1":"","tue2":"","wed1":"","wed2":"","thu1":"","thu2":"","fri1":"","fri2":"","sat1":"","sat2":"","sun1":"","sun2":"","hours-note":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5603"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5603"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5603\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5812"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5603"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5603"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5603"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}