1. Check for Temporary Hearing Loss
Most people regularly experience temporary hearing loss. While your ears can bounce back from light harm, repeated exposure to damaging sound levels can lead to permanent and irreversible damage.
After working in a loud environment or spending time at a concert, you may experience this temporary hearing loss. A simple test to check for this is to set your car radio to the lowest comprehensible volume before you go into the noisy environment. At the end of the day or after the concert, see if you can still make out the music or voices from the radio while it's set at the same level. If you have trouble, then you're experiencing short-term hearing loss, and you need to look into ways to protect your ears.
2. Listen for Prolonged Ringing in Your Ears
Tinnitus, or the constant ringing in your ears, is one of the first signs of permanent hearing loss. If you can hear ringing or modulating frequencies while you are in a quiet area--for example, lying in your bed at night--then you need to visit your doctor. Tinnitus can be caused by medications or internal damage to the ear, so it may be temporary or permanent. This type of hearing loss does get worse if you continue to put your ears in damaging situations.
3. Some Hearing Loss Is Related to Aging
Even if you take steps to protect your ears, you may begin to have trouble hearing softer sounds as you age. Age-related hearing problems can start between your 40s and 60s, depending on the sound levels you were exposed to. Audiological tests by your doctor can inform you more about the degree of your hearing loss. For example, a mild hearing loss means that you cannot hear sounds under 20 decibels. Additionally, loss can be classified by frequency, meaning that you could only have problems hearing sounds that are high or low in pitch. Depending on the conditions that lead to your hearing troubles, one or both ears could be affected as you age.
