Hearing loss can be one of the most difficult conditions for you to self-diagnose because it happens very gradually. You might ignore or not even notice the symptoms unless you look carefully, and only a trained hearing health professional can really assist you and help you determine if you have hearing loss or not.

However, we’ve put together a couple of common signs to look out for. If you notice that you have one of these signs, then it’s possible that you might have hearing loss and should speak to a hearing health professional as soon as possible.

You frequently receive complaints about noise

If you feel like people on public or your neighbors tend to complain about your devices being too loud despite you finding it a comfortable volume, then it could be a sign of hearing loss. Loud noises can also damage your hearing further even if you need to put your devices louder in order to hear, so make sure you visit a hearing health professional as soon as possible if you feel like you receive many complaints about the noise.

You strain yourself listening to conversations

It should feel natural and effortless to listen to a conversation, but if you have to really focus on the person talking to you then it could be an early sign of hearing loss. If a regular day of conversing with people stresses you out a lot, then make sure you visit a hearing health professional and talk about the possibility of you having hearing loss.

You ask people to repeat themselves

Asking people to repeat themselves is a common trait of those that are developing hearing loss. If you converse with people and often ask them to repeat themselves or reply with “what?” then it could be a very early sign of hearing loss. There are exceptions to this, such as if you’re in a loud room, but in general, it’s a sign of hearing loss that you should really look out for.

You hear the wrong thing all the time

A common sign of hearing loss is if you mistake what people say many times. It can be an embarrassing moment that you simply ignore, which is why many people don’t think anything of it when it happens. However, it’s very possible that it’s an early sign of hearing loss and should be a cause for concern.

You feel frustrated having conversations

If you feel like a conversation is difficult to handle then it could be a sign of hearing loss. If you feel like communication is an important part of your life and you have difficulty hearing those around you and differentiating conversations in a crowded room, then you should speak to a hearing health professional about your experiences.

You have trouble speaking on the phone

Phones often have volume controls that can be modified, but if yours is at max volume and you still find it hard to speak on the phone (regardless of who it is) then it could be an early sign of hearing loss.