Not everyone will experience the same symptoms and have the same level of hearing loss. Also, because the symptoms can be quite vague, many people do not realise that they are losing their hearing. This can be very difficult to notice especially amongst young children.

People in their early stages of hearing loss may notice the following:

• Difficulty in hearing conversations, especially if there is background noise
• Frequently asking people to repeat what they have said
• Misunderstanding what people say
• Turning the TV or radio volume to high
• Talking loudly
• Noticing that other people may be mumbling during a conversation
• Difficulty in noticing faint sounds, e.g. birds in the backgrounds
• Mispronouncing words
• Agreeing/nodding during conversation when you’re not sure what has been said
• Reading people’s lips to try and determine what they are saying
• Tinnitus - ringing in the ears