Symptoms of Hearing Loss
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Hearing loss usually comes on gradually but may develop suddenly. The symptoms may include:
-
Decreased ability to hear any of the following:
- Higher pitched sounds
- Lower pitched sounds
- All sounds
- Speech when there is background noise
- Dizziness
- Ringing, hissing, or roaring sounds in the ears ( tinnitus )
- Some sounds seem too loud
- Problems with balance
- Ear pain
- Feeling of fullness or pressure in the ear (eg, with earwax or fluid)
Some people may not realize that they have hearing loss, especially if it develops over a number of years or if it happens in one ear. Common experiences where people begin to notice changes include:
- Difficulty hearing on the telephone
- Difficulty understanding speech when there is background noise (eg, in a restaurant or crowd or at a party)
- Difficulty following a conversation when two or more people are talking at once
- Misunderstanding what other people are saying and responding inappropriately
- Misundertanding words that have sound similar
- Asking people to repeat what they said or speak more slowly, loudly, and clearly
- Difficulty understanding the speech of women and children, which is higher pitched
- Getting complaints from others that you have the TV or radio volume too high
- Withdrawing from conversations because you have trouble hearing
Symptoms of deafness or hearing loss in infants that may be noted:
-
0-3 months:
- Does not react to loud sounds or voices
- Does not turn head toward you when you talk
-
3-6 months:
- Does not turn toward a new sound
- Does not respond to changes in tone of voice
- Does not imitate own voice or make babbling or cooing sounds
- Does not respond to rattles or musical toys
-
6-10 months:
- Does not respond to own name, another person’s voice, or telephone ringing
- Does not make babbling sounds or know words for common things
- Does not look at things when someone talks about them
-
10-15 months:
- Does not experiment with own voice
- Does not imitate easy words or sounds
- Does not focus on common objects or familiar people when asked
- Delayed speech
-
15-18 months:
- Does not know or say even a small number of words
- Does not follow simple directions
- Delayed speech
References:
Hearing loss. Mayo Clinic website. Available at: http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?id=DS00172 . Accessed August 10, 2005.
Hearing loss. NIH SeniorHealth, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders website. Available at: http://nihseniorhealth.gov/hearingloss/hearinglossdefined/01.html . Accessed August 10, 2005.
Hearing, speech, and language problems in children. National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders website. Available at: http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/hearing/silence.asp . Accessed August 12, 2005.
Last reviewed November 2008 by Elie Edmond Rebeiz, MD, FACS
Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
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