In this blog, we will explain to you when it is necessary to have your hearing tested. It can be difficult to tell if you are hearing less in situations because you have a hearing loss, or if you are unable to hear someone for other reasons.
“Don’t you hear me, or don’t you want to hear me!”
Of course, it sometimes happens that you can’t hear someone properly. If you are at a party and the music is loud, someone is talking unclearly or your neighbour is babbling on and on, this does not mean that you have a hearing loss. Or, you don’t hear when your partner asks you to vacuum…empty the dishwasher – these are of course the classic cases of East Indian deafness! A handy tool to get out of chores!
Sometimes you are so focused that when someone asks you something out of the blue, you don’t immediately understand. This is not so much directly related to a hearing loss as it is to focus. Some people, of course, can do 10 things at once. They are super alert and have their senses on full alert at all times! However, many people have the opposite effect. If you are focused on something and someone asks you a question, it may be that the processing of this question in your brain needs some time. The fact that you cannot respond immediately does not mean that you immediately have a hearing loss.
“When should I have a hearing test?”
There are, of course, signs that should set alarm bells ringing, and when you should go to a hearing care professional and have your hearing tested. So take a good look at the signs below and take action!
In a homely atmosphere
If you live with someone, there are plenty of signs that you may have a hearing loss. Just take your partner/parent/relative who keeps asking you to repeat yourself. If there is not too much background noise and someone is talking clearly enough, you should be able to understand them without too much effort. Usually the other person will also indicate at some point that you have to ask for repetition too often.
"Turn that TV down a bit."
Maybe you recognise this, you come to a place where someone has turned the television up very loud. Even though there are no distracting noises that would make it necessary to turn up the volume. With a hearing loss, understanding the TV can quickly become difficult. Take talk shows or the news. Sounds from the TV are sometimes more difficult to hear than when someone is sitting across from you in real life. When you live with someone, you often get the remark:.
“Does the TV have to be so loud?” If this comment is thrown at you regularly, you may have a hearing loss.
"Who am I speaking to...?"
Using a mobile or landline phone can also be extremely difficult for people with hearing loss. What we often hear from people with hearing loss is that the first sentence in particular is often misunderstood. If you regularly have to turn up the volume of the phone while calling, this could be a clear sign.
"Cocktail Effect"
Suppose you are at a party. There is music, everyone is talking to each other, there are a lot of background noises and suddenly you see an old acquaintance with whom you strike up a conversation. That’s when the cocktail party effect kicks in! Despite the noise around you, you are still able to have a conversation with that friend. Your brain makes sure that the background noise disappears and you can automatically focus on the friend you are chatting to. This is a very special mechanism! However, if the music bothers you a lot, and the ambient noises make it hard to understand your friend, his voice fades away in the crowd… then it’s not directly related to the situation but you might have a hearing loss.
"Watch out!"
"Watch out!" Another important signal is outside in traffic. If you are cycling and you are suddenly startled because a scooter races past, or another cyclist uses his bicycle bell to warn you of something, there is a good chance that this is because you have a hearing problem. It is usually a shock effect that repeats itself continuously in traffic. Do not hesitate to have your hearing tested immediately. This can of course lead to very dangerous situations. All of these examples / situations should set alarm bells ringing. Do not hesitate to take immediate action and call a hearing care professional to schedule a hearing test. This is always free of charge and without obligation and will at least give you a clear picture of your hearing to begin with.
When you have a hearing loss, dozens of questions arise. It is, of course, a whole new world! here you can read about the important questions you should ask your hearing care professional.
In short, if you recognise yourself in one of the situations mentioned, do not hesitate to contact your hearing care professional. You also don’t have to be afraid anymore that a hearing aid is a big beige old-fashioned device. Nowadays, there are so many modern smart hearing aids that do more than just improve your hearing! You can use them to call, to stream sound… think of it more as a gadget. If you are curious what the most modern devices can do, click below.
No doubt about it, is the TV too loud, do your friends have to repeat a question 10 times, do you get tired easily because you have to concentrate too much to hear everything? Take the Hearing test and solve your hearing problems in no time!