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I hear this description in my office each day. Without an understanding of how sound gets from the inner ear to the brain, many people are confused by the fact that they can hear sounds, but they cannot always figure out the sounds properly.
Being able to hear high-frequency sounds is very important for understanding human speech. When you can't, it will sound like everyone is mumbling or talking too quietly.
In speech, the vowel sounds (A, E, I, O and U) are low in pitch but consonant sounds like S, F, Th, Sh, V, K, P and others are high in pitch.
Being able to hear vowel sounds is helpful, but it is the consonant sounds that help you distinguish one word from another. Without being able to hear subtle differences between consonants, words like "cat" and "hat," "parrot" and "ferret" and "show" and "throw" can be hard to tell apart.
When you hear the bass vowel sounds better than you do the high-pitch consonants, it sounds like speech is mumbled or muffled. This is why many patients tell me, "I can hear, I just can't understand what people are saying all the time, especially if they mumble!'
If your test results indicate that you do have some degree of hearing loss, you'll likely be offered to try hearing aids. Hearing aids amplify high-frequency sounds to the necessary volume, making conversations clearer and easier to follow.
The good news is that hearing aids are often very effective. Once I correct this high-frequency hearing loss with hearing devices, many patients will tell me, "The mumblers stopped mumbling!"
Hearing loss involves not only the ears but also the brain where sound is translated into meaningful words. When you can't hear well, your brain has to work harder to understand what's being said. This extra effort takes up space in your working memory, leading to listening fatigue.
Besides fatigue, other signs of high-frequency hearing loss include: struggling to hear people on the phone, pretending to hear when people speak to you, finding it hard to watch TV shows or movies, misunderstanding female and young children's voices, not enjoying music like you used to and feeling like everyone is mumbling more often.
Once you begin wearing hearing aids, you will notice improvement in understanding speech and you may even notice you are hearing sounds that have long been forgotten.
For instance, new hearing aid wearers are pleasantly surprised to hear the soft chirping of songbirds for the first time in years.
You will once again be able to hear that beeping sound your microwave makes, your car's turn signal and your phone ringing.
If you can hear, but can't understand, you're not alone. This is what hearing care professionals hear almost every day from their patients, and they are highly skilled at getting to the root of the problem, listening to your concerns and finding a solution that meets your needs within your budget.
Don't give up on enjoying conversations at work, home and play.
Call a hearing professional today.
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Jeff Bayliff is owner of Hear the Birds Hearing Aid Center in Lock Haven.