Am I losing my hearing? Is it possible to restore my parent’s hearing?
Hearing loss has always been accepted as part and parcel of ageing. With Singapore currently facing an increasingly ageing population, hearing loss prevalence is expected to rise. However, there is an alarmingly increasing trend in hearing loss among the younger generation in recent years. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 1 billion young adults are at risk of permanent, avoidable hearing loss due to unsafe listening practices.
Many in Singapore have been living with mild/partial hearing loss without realizing that they are losing their hearing gradually. Our lifestyle and digital innovation might impact and accelerate our hearing loss. The damage can be permanent and irreversible. Most cases of hearing loss develop gradually so it may not be easy to detect the signs and symptoms of hearing loss.
General signs and symptoms of hearing loss:
- When you frequently need others to repeat themselves
- When you have difficulty following a conversation, especially in a noisy environment
- When you have difficulty hearing someone on the phone
- When you feel that you can hear better with one side of your ear
- Finding it difficult to tell where sound is coming from
- Being told your TV or digital devices’ volume is too high
- Constantly being told you speak too loudly
- The constant ringing in your ears
- Having to lean in to hear someone’s speech
