Hearing loss affects approximately 1 in 5 people in the overall populace. This is an huge subset of the populace, and even though the amount of hearing damage can be quite mild, it's quite alarming to think that this statistic is increasing. It is predicted that in Australia, from the year 2050 this number will have increased to 1 in 4 in the general population.

Another alarming truth is that a sizable proportion of the affected by hearing loss aren't aware that the issues they encounter in everyday communication and attention are a result of mild to moderate hearing loss.

Hearing problems can be caused by a number of variables. It can be the result of chronic exposure to loud noises, congenital defect, ototoxicity (as a long-term impact of prescription drugs) or disease. But hearing loss shouldn't remain undiagnosed. There are a number of ways that you may identify a hearing issue.

The first question to ask is are you often misunderstanding what others are saying? Would your friend and family constantly become upset with you reacting inappropriately? One of the first noticeable signs of a hearing flaw is a difficulty in comprehending spoken dialogue.

Another way to detect hearing loss is to think about whether or not you have trouble following conversations when two or more people are talking at the exact same moment. You might not realise it, however, the hearing impaired will unconsciously compensate for their hearing loss by using different signs to follow conversations (ie: body language, lip reading, context, etc). This is made a lot harder when multiple people are talking, so these scenarios can emphasize hearing problems.

Hearing problems will be quite noticeable during phone conversations. Can you observe that you have a great amount of difficulty in knowing what people are saying for you over the telephone? This is a great way to detect hearing problems as there's no way for you to move meaning other than utilizing audio. Note that this is not a fool-proof method; it could just be that you're talking over a bad phone .

If you have trouble hearing in situations where there's background noise, it may be an indicator that you have some level of hearing loss. For example; do you find it hard to understand what someone is saying while the TV or radio is playing in the background?

You also need to pay attention if you discover your pals and/or family always requesting that you turn down the TV or radio. Placing the volume too high on any appliance is an indication that you may be compensating for your hearing issues by producing your appliances .

Another hint that you may have some degree of hearing damage is if you often think people are mumbling or speaking quite softly. Pay attention should you find yourself reprimanding different individuals for speaking too softly.