Sound is special. It has the power to thrill us, to soothe us, to captivate us. The symptoms of hearing loss often appear gradually and can be difficult to detect on your own. Family members and caregivers are usually the first to recognize a problem, but losing the ability to hear can be difficult to accept. It’s a life-changing event, one that can be hard to understand if it’s not happening to you. If someone in your life is suffering from hearing loss, be supportive and learn about his or her condition.

• Frequently asking others to repeat themselves.
• Turning up the volume on the TV and radio to levels that are uncomfortable for others.
• You don’t always hear the doorbell or telephone ring.
• You can hear people speak, but struggle to understand the words they are saying.
• It feels like others are always mumbling.
• Understanding conversation in groups or with background noise is difficult.
• You hear a buzzing or ringing noise in your ears.

• They frequently ask you to repeat.
• The volume they watch TV at is uncomfortable for others.
• They frequently miss the doorbell or telephone ringing.
• They blame their inability to understand you because of mumbling.
• You’ve noticed they withdraw or isolate themselves, so they don’t have to struggle to hear.
• They have stopped doing things they once loved, like going to church or the movies.