Signs of hearing loss – Part two

Last week we talked about hearing loss and how it can creep up on you.

This week we’re keeping the party going with another 3 signs of hearing loss you should watch out for.

Some sounds seem louder than usual

This is another one of those surprising side-effects of hearing loss; Some people report loud noises suddenly startling them.

This is due to a phenomenon called “recruitment”, which happens when people don’t lose all the hair cells in their ear at the same time, leaving one side “better” than the other.

When you hear a sound on the “louder” side it triggers the healthy cells to respond more forcefully than they normally would, resulting in sounds seeming louder, more jarring, or even sound distorted.

Background noise is suddenly an issue

Having a conversation in a pub or restaurant has never been a problem… until now.

Perfect hearing can focus on one thing and tune out everything else, but as we start to grow older and suffer from hearing loss, this becomes more difficult.

If you find it harder to carry a conversation in a crowded room, or people are telling you to turn the TV down, then it may be time for a hearing test.

Your memory isn’t what it used to be

You may think this is just a sign of getting older, but memory and hearing are linked in a surprising way.

We process information in clumps, making it easier to remember. If you’re only picking up certain words, then your brain has to work overtime to figure out what’s being said, and this challenges your short-term memory.

Studies have shown that older people with hearing loss have a higher likelihood of experiencing memory loss, resulting in reduced social activity and higher psychological distress.

It takes a significant amount of energy and concentration to decode a sentence when someone is speaking, and if you have hearing loss, that becomes significantly more difficult.

It’s harder for people with hearing difficulties to focus and sustain a conversation, meaning they get distracted more easily and forget things more often.

1-2-1 know what hearing loss is like

121 Captions is owned and run by deaf and hearing-impaired people who know first-hand the ease of access and benefits to business that swift and accurate captions provide.

When it comes to experience, our founder and Director Tina Lannin has been profoundly deaf from birth, so know a thing or two about the deaf community.

Tina founded 121 Captions because of her personal experience of the lack of excellent quality captioning services while at university, and during her career.

Before setting up 121 Captions, Tina worked as a finance director, expert witness forensic lip reader, C&G ATLA lip reading teacher, deaf awareness trainer, and CEIGHE higher education careers consultant.

Her reputation and that of 121 alongside her is second to none.

Our team includes court reporters and captioners, professional lip readers, certified lipreading teachers, deaf awareness trainers and sign language interpreters.

Contact us today if you have any questions about how we can help your business.