Ears and hearing

Hearing loss can be temporary or permanent. It often comes on gradually as you get older, but it can sometimes happen suddenly.

See your GP if you notice any problems with your hearing so you can find out the cause and get advice on treatment.

Signs and symptoms of hearing loss

It's not always easy to tell if you're losing your hearing.

Common signs include:

difficulty hearing other people clearly, and misunderstanding what they say, especially in noisy places
asking people to repeat themselves
listening to music or watching television loudly
having to concentrate hard to hear what other people are saying, which can be tiring or stressful

The signs can be slightly different if you only have hearing loss in 1 ear or if a young child has hearing loss.