| Many of us who suffer from a hearing loss do not | | | | 1. Do you have difficulty when talking on the |
| want to admit it. We want to blame the inability to hear | | | | telephone? Typically when people talk on the |
| clearly on everything from the noise level in a room to | | | | telephone to each other, they do so in a normal tone |
| the low volume of the person speaking. But in actuality, | | | | and do not shout, so if you find it hard to hear the |
| these are probably not the reasons you have difficulty | | | | person on the other line, you may want to have your |
| hearing certain people or in certain situations, rather it is | | | | hearing checked. |
| probably due to a loss of hearing you are experiencing | | | | 2. Do people complain you have the television too |
| maybe either due to age, illness, or exposing yourself | | | | loud? This is a common complaint amongst spouses |
| to loud noises in the past. | | | | of those who suffer a loss of hearing. Sometimes, |
| Nobody wants to be labeled as a person who is hard | | | | those who need a hearing aid will turn the TV up so |
| of hearing. We all imagine an old, bent over man or | | | | loud, a passerby can hear it on the street, but yet they |
| woman cupping their hand behind their ear and stating | | | | may still deny a problem with their hearing. |
| "What? What did you say?" And let's face it, nobody | | | | 3. Do you have to strain to hear during conversations? |
| wants to be labeled as old...even if we are up in age. | | | | When talking to another person, it should not require |
| In actuality, age is all in the mind. I have known people | | | | you to cup your hand behind your ear plus read the |
| who were in their 80s and looked and acted younger | | | | speaker's lips when he or she is talking. In a normal |
| than some in their 50s. But for those people suffering | | | | environment, you should be able to hear another |
| from an uncorrected hearing loss, whether they are 50 | | | | person talking even when you are not facing them. |
| or 80, they do look and act older than they need to. | | | | 4. Do you feel that other people mumble when they |
| Living with the inability to hear other people clearly puts | | | | talk? Again, this is another frequent complaint from |
| up barriers between ourselves and others. We do not | | | | those experiencing a hearing loss. So if you find |
| want to suffer the embarrassment of asking our | | | | yourself asking others to speak up or to quit mumbling, |
| friends to speak louder or repeat themselves, so we | | | | you need to have your hearing evaluated. |
| just avoid our friends. And our friends also feel | | | | 5. Do you have difficulty hearing children and women? |
| embarrassed too when they have to talk loudly, which | | | | Women and children speak at a higher frequency than |
| often attracts attention to themselves from outsiders. | | | | do men and adults in general, and the higher frequency |
| Plus, who wants everyone in the room to hear our | | | | hearing losses are usually quite common. Being able to |
| private conversations? | | | | hear is a gift that many of us are given at birth and |
| So if you or someone you know can relate to any of | | | | should not be taken for granted. Hearing, like the rest |
| this, then maybe it is time for a hearing test to screen | | | | of our senses, connects us with our world and when |
| for a possible hearing loss. But before you or your | | | | we lose one of these abilities, we are in effect |
| loved one head off for a hearing evaluation, answer | | | | disconnecting ourselves from those we love and things |
| these simple questions: | | | | we love to do. |
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