Our Tips On Recognising Hearing Loss

. We’ll turn the TV up a notch to hear the news, adjust the volume on the radio in the car or ask friends to repeat themselves.

If you have started to do these things, ask yourself these questions:

• Do I have difficulty hearing conversations, especially where there’s background noise?
• Do I often ask people to repeat what they've said?
• Do I misunderstand what people say?
• Do I find it difficult to hear while talking on the telephone?
• Do I turn up the volume on the TV or radio louder than others in the room like?
• Do I feel that people are mumbling when they talk to me?
• Do I have difficulty hearing birds, rain, the wind blowing, and the ocean?
• Do I simply agree in conversations because I have not heard what's been said?
• Do I take myself away out of a conversation because it's too difficult to hear?
• Do I reading lips to try and follow what people are saying?
• Do I strain to hear conversations?
• Do I get tinnitus (a persistent ringing in the ears)?

If you answered "yes" to several of the following questions, please make an appointment with a hearing health professional near you.

A hearing test is a simple procedure, and the earlier a loss is picked up, the better chance or preserving your hearing and minimising further loss.