What does hearing loss sound like?

Published 18 May 2018 | Updated 16 May 2024 | 3 mins read

A bustling city street filled with pedestrians walking in various directions.

When we think about hearing loss, our minds tend to focus on the absence of sound, but did you know that hearing loss is a spectrum, from mild to severe? Every person with hearing loss sits somewhere within that spectrum and hears the world differently from those without impairment.

So, have you ever stopped to think about what hearing loss sounds and feels like?

Well, let us show you. This video has been created to demonstrate what day-to-day life can be like with hearing loss so you can better understand the obstacles many have to overcome on a daily basis.

What does hearing loss feel like?

This video is a fantastic representation of what life with hearing loss sounds like and provides us with real food for thought. But let us look deeper into the effects of hearing loss – how does it make us feel, and what are we likely to experience at each stage of loss?

Mild hearing loss

Friends and family may begin to notice you misunderstanding speech and are frequently asking them to repeat themselves.
Occasionally you may misunderstand conversations and not always recognise this until pointed out.
You may notice the loss of speech intelligibility in noisy environments such as busy offices or built-up areas.
TV and radio volumes may begin to increase.
You might complain that people don’t articulate themselves properly, initially assuming the issue is not within yourself.
At this stage, it is common to experience feelings of denial and difficulty in accepting there may be a hearing problem.

Moderate Loss

You may experience confusion when listening to speech and may misunderstand or misinterpret what someone is telling you.
You may feel a sense of disorientation and are unable to identify a sound source or location.
You may lose confidence in social situations and feel dependent on others to communicate on your behalf or relay unheard information.
You become stressed or concerned in places of work or education where you have to rely on your hearing to a greater extent, especially with the increase in Zoom/online meetings.
Feelings of stress might occur when the phone rings, as you might be worried that you will not hear on the phone accurately.
You could become increasingly anxious at home as you begin to worry about not hearing things such as missing the door and not hearing clearly at night.
TV or radio volume increased to levels too loud for others in the household.
You’ve begun to feel tired or stressed from concentrating harder on listening.

Severe Loss

You can become socially isolated and fearful of going out alone in case someone tries to speak to you.
You feel unable to participate in conversation easily and often avoid it altogether, triggering feelings of isolation and depression.
You become increasingly concerned over not hearing environmental alarms such as the phone or fire alarm and may experience difficulty sleeping, especially if living alone.
Interactions with friends and family become laboured and can often feel unsuccessful – leaving you feeling sad or withdrawn.

We are here to help!

At The Hearing Care Partnership, we believe nobody should have to navigate hearing loss alone. We have friendly audiologists up and down the country, ready and waiting to help you hear your best so you can live life to the full!

So what are you waiting for? Talk to our team today at 0800 52 00 546 or book an appointment below.

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