We all know that hearing loss happens, but how do you know whether or not you or someone you love is suffering from hearing loss? Although hearing loss shows no outward symptoms, there are several things to watch for which can help one detect hearing loss.

Hearing loss is usually present when there is a history of earaches or ear infections. Stress to the ear, like ear aches & ear infections, can break down the ability and function of the ear and cause lack of hearing eventually. Another sign you can watch for is if someone frequently says "what" or "huh" when they're spoken to. While sometimes this is simply a bad habit, other times it's the result of a hearing loss. People typically ask for clarification in the form of "what?" or "huh?" If you notice someone always asking other people to repeat themselves or complaining that other people "mumble" a lot when speaking, they very well might have hearing loss.

A person's body language is also a great indicator of whether or not they might have hearing problems. If you see someone struggling to hear - meaning they furrow their brow and focus intently, or they frequently talk too loudly or too quietly, this is a definite indicator of hearing loss. Someone that tends to turn one ear to the person talking, or someone who seems to focus a lot on someone's mouth while the other person is talking is likely suffering from hearing loss.

You can also watch for less than polite social communication. Since it is very frustrating to a person with hearing loss to try to communicate, often a person with hearing loss will place warrantless blame on the other person for not talking loudly enough or they will try to avoid having to listen by talking non-stop themselves.

Another thing to notice is how someone reacts to ambient noise. If someone has problems locating sources of sound or from telling one sound from another, it's likely that he/she suffers from hearing loss. If someone doesn't understand you speaking unless they are facing you, this is an indicator of hearing loss- usually this means they are trying to "read" lips to understand what is being said, especially if there is background or ambient noise present.

These are only a few of the major indications of hearing loss. If even one of these symptoms is present, it's time to make an appointment with an audiologist for an evaluation.