Subtle signs of hearing loss to never ignore

An expert tells CAMILLA FOSTER why it's never too early to get a hearing test

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HEARING loss often creeps in gradually, making it easy to overlook.

The charity RNID (Royal National Institute for Deaf People), which supports the 18 million people in the UK who are deaf, have hearing loss or tinnitus, is encouraging people to prioritise their hearing health and take the free online check at rnid.org.uk following results from a recent survey.

Out of 1,810 people who had never been diagnosed with hearing loss, the survey found almost half (47%) would struggle to hear leaves rustling in trees on a windy day, someone calling their name from another room (46%) and the sound of rainfall nearby (43%).

Here Ryan Reid, audiologist and group sales manager at The Hearing Clinic UK, highlights signs of hearing loss you should not ignore...

1. INCREASING THE VOLUME ON THE TV

"The TV volume being turned up louder and louder is one of the most common things that family members often notice first," says Ryan.

"People often blame the TV, or the actors, but the reason behind it usually is a lack of clarity in what they're hearing, and making things louder doesn't always make it clearer.