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You may not have realised it, but you could have some degree of hearing loss. Hearing usually deteriorates slowly over time, and the signs that you’re having trouble hearing can manifest in subtle ways.

Hearing loss is a problem that should be diagnosed and dealt with sooner, rather than later. What many don’t realise is that side effects like depression, a feeling of isolation, and early onset cognitive decline can manifest because of hearing loss.

To learn how we can identify hearing loss and what can be done to treat it, we spoke with hearing clinician Theo Saunders, the Head of Teleaudiology at Blamey Saunders Hears.

What are the most common signs that your hearing is deteriorating?

Have you been turning up the volume of your TV a little bit more than usual? Do you find it difficult to focus on conversations in certain environments? Are you struggling to hear what people are saying because they’re always mumbling? If you answered yes to any of these, chances are you could be experiencing the early stages of hearing loss.

There’s a perception that hearing loss sounds like the volume of everything around you being turned down. According to Saunders, while this is a sign of hearing loss, the issue is more one of clarity, where individual sounds blur together.

Hearing loss is initially noticeable when you’re conversing with other people. If listening to people speak has felt a bit more difficult, or you find yourself feeling more exhausted than usual after conversations, these are symptoms you shouldn’t ignore. You’re having issues with clarity and the extra effort you’re putting into listening is tiring you out.

“Hearing is something that just happens, but listening is a skill,” Saunders explains, “like any skill, it requires practice and upkeep.”

“If you start to develop hearing loss, the amount of effort required to listen increases dramatically.”

Saunders warns that if you experience sudden hearing loss, it’s essential to seek immediate medical attention.

If you’re not sure if your hearing has changed, what can you do to check?

If you start to suspect that you have hearing loss, you should visit your local audiology clinic to get it tested or talk to your family doctor. If you’re unable to leave your house – or, considering our current social climate, don’t want to leave your house – some companies offer telehealth support.

Blamey Saunders Hears, in particular, offers a free, scientifically proven, peer reviewed online hearing test. It’s designed to detect hearing loss, and it does this by measuring your ability to perceive certain features of speech such as nasality, sibilance and vowel placement.

The results of this test can be used to determine to what degree you may be experiencing hearing loss, and will provide you with advice of what you should do next.

What can you do to prevent hearing loss?

Hearing loss builds over time and nothing can be done to stop your hearing from deteriorating. The two most common causes of hearing loss are noise exposure and the natural ageing process. However, it is possible to slow down hearing decline by paying attention to the kind of noise you’re exposed to.

Listening to music or watching movies with the volume set to a safe level will benefit you in the long run. As a rule, you shouldn’t be listening to anything at more than 60% of the device’s maximum volume. If you have to raise your voice to talk to other people while listening to music or while a movie is playing, that means the sound is too loud. If you’re in an environment where loud sounds are unavoidable, like a concert, wear ear plugs.

Saunders recommends that you look for headphones with a built-in noise cancelling feature so you aren’t constantly raising the volume to compete with external noise. This is something to consider if you’re currently working from home and using headphones or earbuds for much of your day. As a failsafe, you can also set volume restrictions on your phone or computer.

What are the treatment options for hearing loss?

Apart from taking active preventative steps, hearing aids are still the best treatment option for hearing loss. There’s an outdated perception that hearing aids are exclusively bulky beige devices – but hearing aid technology has come a long way.

Present day hearing aids are designed for more subtle use. They’re lifestyle devices as much as they’re medical ones. They use modern technologies like Bluetooth to give you more control over your settings.

To make sure you’re getting the right treatment, you’re best to consult with an audiologist at a hearing clinic, or to use a telehealth service. The results of Blamey Saunders’ aforementioned online hearing test can also be used to program your hearing aids – if you require them. If you’re already equipped with hearing aids, the test can help you make sure that they’re correctly calibrated.

On top of this convenient way to screen yourself for hearing loss, Blamey Saunders also provides online access to a range of hearing aids.

When it comes to getting hearing aids, Saunders notes that it’s better to act sooner, rather than later.

“We process sounds with our brains, not our ears,” Saunders explains, “Your brain is a muscle like any other and it’s important to strengthen its hearing pathways with the sound hearing aids provide you.”

“Waiting years to get hearing aids, like most people do, can lead to a general discomfort when you do get them, partly because every day sounds can seem alarmingly loud.”

“What’s more, identifying and addressing hearing loss in its early stages is key to staying cognitively healthy. It’ll help you stave off side effects such as depression and isolation, as well as helping you at work and in your relationships.”

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