Many people come into Precision Hearing Aid Center saying, “I can hear people; I just can’t understand what their saying. Will hearing aids even make a difference?” Their spouses may accuse them of “selective hearing.” or they may find it difficult to hold a conversation with someone when there’s a lot of background noise.
If that sounds like you or someone you know, the good news is that you’re not alone, and yes, usually hearing aids can help.
Hidden Hearing Loss
The Wexner Medical Center explains, “Your ear is made up of three parts—the outer ear, the middle ear and the inner ear. The auditory system includes your ear, along with your brainstem and your brain, which each have a role in transforming vibrations in the air into the recognizable sounds and noise patterns that help you navigate daily life.”
Hearing loss can come from a number of different deficits, such as central auditory issues with cognitive function and peripheral auditory factors such as high-frequency hearing loss.
High-Frequency Hearing Loss
One of the most common types of hearing loss is high frequency hearing loss. This condition – typically caused by aging, noise exposure, and certain medical conditions – makes it difficult to hear high-pitched sounds. So, you may be able to understand people with deeper voices, but struggle to understand high-pitched voices (such as children’s voices).
It’s also important to note that vowel sounds – A, E, I, O, U – are a lower pitch, and consonant sounds such as S, F, V, K, P, TH, and SH are higher pitch. Therefore “hat” may sound like “cat” because you can hear the low-pitch “A” sound but not the S, F, or T sound. And “throw” may sound like “show.” Again, because you can hear the vowel sound but not necessarily the “th” or “sh.” Hearing “We should show it” when someone said “We should throw it,” gives two very different meanings.
Here are some of the symptoms of high-frequency hearing loss:
- Frequently asking people to speak more clearly or more slowly
- Trouble understanding what people are saying when there’s a lot of background noise, such as a crowd of people or a TV
- Trouble following a conversation
- Trouble understanding people on the phone
- Feel as if everyone around you is mumbling
- Difficulty watching TV even when you turn the volume up
- Developmental or learning delays in children
- Tinnitus – hearing ringing or buzzing sounds
- Withdrawing from social situation
Hearing aids can amplify high-pitched sounds without amplifying low-pitched sounds, so that you can better understand what people are saying. You may suddenly hear sounds that you hadn’t heard in years – such as a phone ringing or a bird chirping.
Central Auditory Processing Disorders (CAPD)
There is more to hearing and understanding than your ears. CAPD is a hearing impairment – rather than hearing loss, and it occurs when your brain can’t process information correctly. CAPD is most frequently diagnosed in children, but it can affect people of all ages. Common causes of CAPD include prenatal issues, a difficult birth, a family history, or a traumatic brain injury.
Common Symptoms of CAPD include the following:
- Trouble understanding when there’s a lot of background noise
- Trouble identifying where sounds are coming from
- Trouble following directions that include more than one step
- Trouble concentrating
- A Lack of focus
- The lack of musical abilities and appreciation for music
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Attention deficit disorder, also referred to as ADD, is a condition that’s often attributed to younger children. However, the condition can affect people of any age. The most common characteristics of ADD involve problems with focus and concentration. People with ADD often have a hard time in school because they are unable to focus on the material at hand. They become bored quickly and are often interested in switching to a new task.
People with ADD may also have a hard time following conversation because their attention will be jumping all over the place.
According to the Mayo Clinic, common risk factors include a blood relative with ADHD, exposure to environmental toxins, maternal drug use, and premature birth.
Common symptoms of ADD include the following:
- Trouble focusing
- Trouble following conversations
- Low motivation
- Frequently misplacing things
- Careless mistakes
- Memory problems
The bottom line is that even if a standard hearing test determines that your hearing is fine, if you are having trouble understanding what people are saying or struggle to follow conversations, don’t give up. Start by going to the hearing care professionals at Precision Hearing Aid Center.