Have you ever found yourself thinking, “Am I becoming deaf? Many people get this thought, but there’s no definite guide available regarding this topic on the internet.
So, I’ve done some research and found data that you can use to determine if you are going deaf or not.
On top of that, I’ll also share some important stats which you can use to determine your odds of becoming deaf. Let’s get started.
We have a related article for you, you can read How Do Deaf People Communicate?
Table of Contents
Am I Becoming Deaf?
Hearing loss is a major problem these days, and more than 600,000 people in the US have some form of hearing loss. Now, if you think that you are becoming deaf, you can look for the following signs. If you have one or multiple of these signs, there’s a chance that you are becoming deaf, and you should contact your doctor as soon as possible.
- Hearing issues – If you experience difficulty in hearing people and you often ask them to repeat what they said, it’s a sign that you are becoming deaf.
- Listening to songs at extreme volume – If you play your songs at extreme volume and you are unable to hear them or have difficulty hearing them at low volume, it’s another sign that you are going deaf.
- Less contribution to conversations – if you go with your friends and you have noticed that you are contributing less to conversation than usual, it’s another sign that you are experiencing hearing loss. Experts say that when a person starts hearing loss, they experience trouble in hearing conversations, and as they can’t listen to conversations properly, their participation in the conversation decreases.
- Struggle over a phone call – If you can’t hear the other person’s voice over the phone call properly and you ask them to repeat louder, it’s another sign that you are going deaf.
- Difficulty understanding words – Similarly, if you experience difficulty in hearing words in conversations and you have to guess them or ask the other person to repeat them, it’s another sign that you are going deaf.
How Likely Am I To Go Deaf?
Scientists have done a lot of research on this topic, and experts have come up with three main factors which can help you know your odds of going deaf. These are the 3 main factors that will determine your odds of going deaf.
Age
Age is the first and most important factor which determines your chances of becoming deaf. According to the National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), your chance of becoming deaf is 2% if you are aged between 45 to 54 years. If your age is between 55 to 64 years, your chance of becoming deaf increases to 8.5%.
Similarly, if you are a person with age between 65 to 74 years, your chances of becoming deaf are 25%. If your age is 75 years or higher, your chances of becoming deaf are 50%.
Gender
It has also been seen that men have more chances of becoming deaf as compared to women because they are exposed to more harsh working conditions. However, if you are a woman and you are exposed to intense noise, you can also experience hearing loss.
Exposure to Noise
Last but not least, if you are someone who is exposed to high-frequency noise, you can also experience hearing loss.
How Easy Is It To Go Deaf?
If you want to become a deaf person temporarily, there are many things, such as foam earplugs, beeswax, etc., which you can use to deafen your ears temporarily. I’ve written an entire guide on this topic where you can learn how to be deaf for a day.
How To Tell If You Are Partially Deaf?
Partial Deafness can easily be detected by looking for symptoms. If you have any of the following symptoms, there are chances that you are partially deaf in one ear.
- Asking people to repeat themselves.
- Trouble hearing from one ear
- Struggle to have a conversation over the phone from the affected ear.
- Withdrawal from conversations or less participation in conversations.
How Early Can Deafness Be Detected?
When it comes to babies, it can take months to detect Deafness on your own. However, doctors can easily detect Deafness by a simple hearing test.
On the other side, detecting Deafness in adults is pretty simple, and you can easily detect Deafness at very early stages by looking for symptoms such as trouble hearing and difficulty in having a conversation over the phone.
Is Deafness Inherited?
Deafness by inheritance is surely possible, and according to experts, there’s a 25% chance that the gene mutation might be passed on to a child.
It’s possible that the child might not be deaf by birth, but there are chances that they might develop hearing loss conditions as they grow older.
How Early Can You Tell If A Baby Is Deaf?
Detecting Deafness in babies can be pretty tricky, but you can detect it by looking for symptoms. If your baby is 4 months old or older, they should start responding to sounds by moving their heads toward the source of the sound.
If they don’t show any response to sound, it’s a possibility that they are deaf, and you should contact your doctor for further tests and treatment.
Can You Suddenly Become Deaf?
There are various forms of hearing loss, and in most forms, a person loses their ability to hear gradually. However, Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL) or Sudden Deafness is a form of hearing loss that can make you deaf rapidly, and it’s treated as a medical emergency. So, if you are experiencing hearing loss, you should contact your doctor immediately.
Can Hearing Loss Be Cured?
It mainly depends on the main cause and the severity of the hearing loss. For example, if you are young and your hearing loss is not severe, it can be cured, and you can get your hearing back.
However, if your hearing loss is due to age-factor or a serious cause, there’s no cure, and you will need hearing aids to start hearing again.
Conclusion
Hearing loss is a serious problem, but in most cases, if you detect it at the early stages, it can be cured. You can easily detect hearing loss by looking for the symptoms I explained in the guide. Also, if you are experiencing hearing loss, I’ll recommend that you should visit your doctor immediately.
If you have any questions or recommendations, please let me know in the comments, and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
Hi, my name is Eddie, I am a professional trainer specializing in the elderly population and I’m also a website designer. I love training in the gym, going to the beach, traveling, and having good food.
I combined my love for sport and website designing to make “DisabilitEase” whose purpose is to help elderly and disabled people live a more full and active life, have more fun, and enjoy their unique journey despite any disability.
