Subtle Signs Your Loved One is Losing Their Hearing

You probably know your loved one’s habits pretty well, including how they act when you’re spending time together. Maybe you’re having lunch in downtown Traverse City or sitting by the water at Clinch Park.

You’ve repeated something twice, and they still haven’t quite caught what you said. It’s not a big deal, but you start thinking about other conversations where the same thing happened.

When you’re close to someone, you sometimes pick up on changes before they do. They might insist they’re hearing just fine, and you don’t have much reason to question that.

Still, there may be little things happening during conversations that weren’t happening a year ago. Figuring out whether they’re related to hearing loss isn’t always as obvious as you’d think.

How Gradual Hearing Loss Often Begins Without Clear Warning

Most people don’t spend much time thinking about whether they’re hearing the same way they did a few years ago. Your loved one may still enjoy their usual conversations and hear the sounds they’re familiar with.

Gradual hearing loss doesn’t mean everything suddenly becomes quieter. Certain sounds may change first, while much of what they hear stays the same.

Someone can also have different experiences with hearing throughout the day. Your loved one might follow a conversation easily at home but find a busy family dinner a little harder to keep up with.

They may simply prefer quieter places to talk without giving it much thought. Since hearing changes don’t always feel the same in every setting, they aren’t necessarily something a person recognizes right away.

Difficulty Hearing High-Pitched Sounds or Certain Voices

You might notice your loved one missing sounds that used to get their attention. Maybe the microwave has been beeping for a while, and they’re still waiting for it to finish.

They can hear you talking from across the kitchen, so it seems strange that they didn’t hear the timer. High-frequency hearing loss can be like that.

Someone may hear certain sounds perfectly well while having trouble with others. A few sounds that may become harder to hear include:

• Microwave beeps: They might not realize their food is ready until they check the microwave.
• Doorbells: A higher-pitched chime may be difficult to hear from another part of the house.
• Kitchen timers: They may miss a short alert while they’re busy doing something else.
• Birdsong: Some birds may sound quieter, while others are still easy to hear.
• Higher-pitched voices: They may catch what one person says but ask another to repeat a few words.

Higher-frequency speech sounds, including s, f and th, carry details that distinguish similar words. Your loved one may hear the rest of the sentence without realizing which sounds didn’t come through.

Conversation Disconnects and Frequent Repetition

Sometimes a conversation takes an unexpected turn because your loved one heard something different from what you said. You might mention that dinner is at six, only to find out later they thought you said seven.

Other times, they’ll stop you halfway through a sentence and ask you to start again. These little mix-ups happen to everyone occasionally, but you may be hearing more requests for repetition than you remember.

Phone calls can be particularly tricky because your loved one can’t see your face while you’re talking.

Group conversations are different again, with voices coming from several directions and people speaking before someone else has finished. You may find that your loved one follows one person easily but needs a little more time to catch what someone else said.

Turning Up the Television or Radio Louder Than Usual

You might sit down to watch television with your loved one and realize the volume is higher than you’re used to.

They may be perfectly comfortable with it and wonder why you think it’s loud. Everyone has their own preferences, but a change from what they used to enjoy could be related to their hearing.

Television shows can be tricky because the dialogue isn’t always as loud as the music or sound effects. Your loved one might turn up the volume to catch what an actor is saying, then lower it during an action scene.

Something similar can happen with the radio, especially when a presenter speaks over background music. You may notice they’re adjusting the volume throughout a program instead of leaving it where it was.

Difficulty Locating Where Sounds Are Coming From

A phone starts ringing somewhere in the house, and your loved one hears it but can’t tell where it’s coming from.

They might check the kitchen before realizing it’s in the living room. You may also notice them looking the wrong way when someone calls out to them. They’re hearing the sound, but figuring out where it came from is another matter.

Both ears work together to tell your brain which direction a sound is coming from. Your brain picks up on tiny differences in timing and volume between the ears.

When hearing changes, particularly if one ear hears better than the other, those differences may be harder to detect.

Outdoors, your loved one might hear a car approaching but have trouble telling which direction it’s coming from. That can be especially concerning near traffic, where knowing where a vehicle is matters.

Mental Fatigue and Physical Conversation Cues

You might notice your loved one turning their head a little when you speak, almost as though they’re trying to listen with one ear. They may also watch your mouth more closely than they used to.

Seeing someone’s face gives them extra clues about what’s being said, especially when they don’t catch every word. After a while, they may do these things without even thinking about them.

Something else you might pick up on is how loudly they’re speaking. Their voice may sound louder than usual, even during a quiet conversation at home.

They might not realize it because their own voice sounds different to them. And after spending an afternoon with family, they may be ready for some quiet time.

Keeping up with several people talking takes concentration, particularly when they’re putting extra effort into listening. It’s often called listening fatigue, and it may explain why your loved one seems tired or a little frustrated after a long conversation.

Having More Trouble Hearing on the Phone Compared to In Person

Many people notice more trouble hearing on the phone than in person. Phone calls can be harder because you cannot rely on watching lips or seeing facial expressions to help understand what someone is saying.

It can feel frustrating or isolating when phone conversations become more difficult, especially with family and friends. This experience is common and important to recognize.

Pulling Away from Social Events or Family Gatherings Over Time

Your loved one may start choosing smaller get-togethers instead of the larger family gatherings they used to attend. Maybe they’d rather have lunch with you than spend an afternoon at a crowded celebration.

They might still enjoy seeing everyone but prefer visits where they can spend more time talking with each person. Hearing changes may be part of that preference, particularly when several conversations are happening around them.

You may also find that they’re more selective about which activities they attend or how long they stay. That doesn’t necessarily mean their interest in family or friends has changed.

They may simply enjoy conversations more when there’s less competing noise. These preferences are easy to overlook because everyone has different ways of socializing.

When they’re different from what your loved one used to enjoy, though, hearing may be one reason behind the change.

Ways to Encourage a Loved One to Get a Hearing Check with an Audiologist

Talking to a loved one about their hearing doesn’t need to feel like a big discussion. You can bring it up naturally, mention something you’ve noticed and see what they think.

Here are a few ways to suggest a hearing check without making them feel pressured:

• • Find a quiet time: Bring it up when you’re alone together and neither of you is in a hurry.
  • Be specific: Mention something you’ve noticed recently instead of telling them they aren’t hearing well.
  • Hear them out: Ask whether they’ve noticed anything different about their hearing and give them time to answer.
  • Talk about the appointment: Explain that an audiologist can check their hearing, even if they aren’t interested in hearing aids.
  • Offer some company: Let them know you’d be happy to go with them if they’d prefer not to go alone.
  • Don’t push for an answer: They may want a little time to think about making an appointment.

Taking the Next Step Toward Better Hearing Health

There’s no need to have everything figured out beforehand. You can simply talk together about whether a hearing check would be useful.

At Hearing Solutions of Northwest Michigan in Traverse City, we’ll take the time to learn about your loved one’s hearing and answer their questions.

You’re welcome to join them for the appointment if they’d like some company. Call us at (231) 518-4422 to schedule a visit.