Photo by Sharon Waldron
As a college student, your plate is probably pretty full. School tends to keep you pretty busy with classes and assignments, leaving you little free time for part-time work and a social life. With all that said, it can be very easy to miss health signs and symptoms that may signal a deeper issue is going on.
Hearing issues are one of those things that people tend to associate with the elderly, and while it’s true that it is more common to experience hearing loss as you age, it doesn’t mean that young people are immune from hearing problems. Let’s take a look at some signs college students should look for when it comes to their hearing.
Trouble Following a Conversation When Multiple People Are Talking
If you’ve ever found yourself with a group of friends and everyone is chatting at once and you find it difficult to hear, this can be a sign that you’re having hearing issues. It may even happen in the classroom or during study sessions, which means you could miss out on valuable information. You may be able to catch some words but not complete sentences, or you may find you have to strain to hear everything. This sign alone isn’t enough to assume you’re suffering from hearing loss; however, as it can be hard to focus when there is a lot of noise happening at once.
Phone Conversations Don’t Sound as Crisp
Another sign can be when you’re chatting on your mobile phone with friends and you constantly have to ask them to repeat what they said. If you have the volume at maximum and the reception is good, then you can’t blame it on the device itself. You may also experience the same problem when talking on a landline phone, even though they tend to have better quality sound.
It Feels Like People Mumble and Don’t Articulate Their Words
This is a case where the problem may not be everyone else — it’s you. Do you often feel like friends don’t speak very clearly? Maybe it feels like they mumble a lot and you constantly need to ask them what they said or to speak more clearly. If this is happening often, especially in places that aren’t exactly loud, then the common denominator is probably you, not them. What’s unfortunate in this situation is that often you will find yourself getting frustrated at others, when it’s not their fault at all. Sounds can often sound muffled, blended and not crisp when hearing loss is occurring.
Friends Complain You Listen to the Radio and TV Too Loudly
Have you ever been watching television or listening to the radio in your dorm only to have someone knock on your door and complain about the noise? If you still live at home with your family while commuting to and from school, then it’s probably your family members you are disturbing with the volume level. Now, what if it didn’t sound loud to you? Those who are experiencing even mild hearing loss often find they need to turn up the television and radio so they can hear better, so, once again, this can be a sign.
Hearing Loss Can Lead to Withdrawing from Social Settings
As you can see by these symptoms, it can be very annoying to constantly feel like you can’t hear properly and that can lead to you inadvertently withdrawing from friends and social gatherings. It’s your college years, and this is your chance to be social, learn about yourself and others and get out there. Hearing shouldn’t hold you back.
Schedule an Appointment with a Hearing Care Provider
A statistic that may be startling is that around 20% of people in their 20s are already suffering from at least some amount of hearing loss. This is according to the CDC, which points out that a large proportion of Americans have no idea they have hearing loss.
Should you experience any of the symptoms above or you just have concerns about your hearing in general, it’s always a good idea to get checked out. You can find a hearing care provider that can perform a hearing loss test and, if needed, help you with a hearing aid. You can use a site like this, www.phonak.com/en-us/find-a-provider, to help you find a nearby hearing care specialist.
Generally speaking, doctors recommend that even if your hearing seems fine, you check it every 10 years once you are 21. It’s a good way to stay on top of any potential issues that may arise.
When it comes to hearing issues and hearing loss, there is no specific age it occurs; it can be a progressive problem that you don’t even realize is happening. This is why it’s so important not to ignore the warning signs and be sure to get a proper hearing test should you have any concerns.
