To realise it’s actually me.

[jaysrocks]

I met up with my mum recently, we don’t live very near but the whole time she kept asking me to repeat myself as she said she thought she must be losing her hearing.

Dh has kept asking me to repeat myself over the last few weeks too and started wondering if there’s something wrong with his hearing.

I made an important phone call today with a very apologetic lady who thought she must be losing her hearing.

My children keep asking me to repeat myself.

I called out to the usually friendly neighbour who didn’t respond.

Today my child’s teacher had a quick chat but kept asking me to repeat myself because she couldn’t hear very well.

Lastly we just popped into the pharmacy for my prescription and I had to say my very simple last name 3 times before being asked to spell it because the man behind the counter said he was a being a bit deaf.

It’s not a bad hearing epidemic is it?

Am I losing my hearing? Would that make my voice quieter ?To me I sound the same.

Do an online hearing check on RNID website. It’s free and can be done at anytime.

My friend has this and the problem is that she is the one with hearing issues and she doesn’t know how loud she is speaking.

She has auditory processing disorder so it’s not just a case of being deaf or not deaf, there are differing issues and degrees.

I will do thanks I didn’t realise you could.

I used to work with a guy who had hearing damage and he spoke incredibly quietly. If you are hearing people at a quiet level it may be you are matching your volume to what you perceive theirs to be, when actually you’re being much quieter.

Can you ask your DM or DH if they've noticed a change? If they have, can they tell if you've just become quieter, or if your speech has become unclear/slurred?

That's a brilliant resource @Yellowpingu, thank you

If you were beginning to have hearing loss, you would know (IME). Can you still hear other people as easily as you used to, do you have to turn up the TV louder than usual, do you hear when someone knocks at the door? Do you miss things happening because you didn't hear the cues?

If none of the above, it is unlikely you are talking quietly due to suffering hearing loss yourself. Ask your husband exactly what the problem is with your speech, and if he has only noticed it recently.

Do you speak louder when asked to repeat yourself?

I know someone at work, he speaks very quietly, normally it is okay, but if there is any background noise, I just can't hear him. When I gesture that I can't hear and ask him to say it again, he says it again in the EXACT SAME VOLUME.. sometimes, I have to say, look can you just speak a bit louder, I can't hear a word you are saying! to which he speaks ever so slightly louder.

It annoys me that I have to keep asking over and over, so now if I can't hear him I just smile and nod and pretend I know what he is telling me.. you should definitely look into what is causing it.

We did have a house move over the summer holidays but all seems to have gone well and I don’t feel stressed.

I have never had a quiet speaking voice and to me I don’t feel like I’m speaking any different to usual but it’s no coincidence that everyone I speak to is suddenly struggling to hear me.
It’s a bit embarrassing when people lean right in with squinty eyes to try and make out what you’re saying as you might a 3 year old who you can’t hear when she might have her fingers in her mouth.
I did ask Dh just now and he said yes for the past few weeks I’ve barely been able to hear you, you’re getting quieter and quieter even on the phone but I never used to.
It’s certainly not conscious.

This doesn't sound like hearing loss IMO.

I would be more worried about something impacting your speech. I think you need to make a GP appointment.

Definitely not my experience! I actually have the TV on very low. I was shocked when, on a long journey, there was something on the radio that resonated with me and suggested anyone experiencing XYZ should do the online hearing check on RNID website. I did and was diagnosed with moderate hearing loss in both ears. Until listening to that radio program I had absolutely no idea!

"ScotiaLass · Today 17:02
Having blocked ears can make you talk more quietly because you can hear your own voice more loudly inside your own head. I'd make an appointment at Specsavers to get your hearing checked. They can also suction wax out of your ears if necessary to remove a blockage and restore your hearing."

@jaysrocks - it clearly is you so you do need to try and get to the bottom of this. As @ScotiaLass has suggested, have you had any ear infections recently that could have left your ears blocked? My hearing isn't brilliant and I naturally speak quite loudly (sometimes too loudly), however, when I went through a phase of ear infections some years ago, my ears got bunged up and I was convinced i was shouting when in fact i was talking really quietly. That said, I knew I had the bunged up ears and it doesn't sound like you're aware of any such thing for yourself.

Some people just speak like that - Peter Hitchens on YouTube. Mumbles, I can only understand 40% of what he is saying, have to use subtitles.

Yes, this. Happens to my DH when he has wax build up, to him he sounds really loud so speaks more quietly but then he's too quiet for everyone else

You can do the online hearing test easily, and many high street audiologist do a free 5 minute screen. If it indicates an issues, they will then recommend a full hearing test.

However, age-related hearing loss tends to come on very gradually, whereas your husband is indicating this has changed in the past few weeks. On that basis, I would see your GP.

I have quite a high level of hearing loss and people often say that I'm softly spoken, I have a hard time adjusting my voice louder but try to be conscious of it if I'm talking in public/ formal settings.

I have eustacian tube dysfunction and when it flares I talk quietly as cant tell my own volune

Why don’t you record your voice on your phone and listen back to it?

This is probably totally unrelated @jaysrocks but do you have any other symptoms of anything. I know someone with Parkinsons and their voice has become so low like the volume is way lower .. I have to strain to hear them. This is common with Parkinsons, they have no temour but they have other very clear Parkinsons symptoms. I know it’s prob nothing to do with your situation but it’s the only time I’ve heard a voice become so low and difficult to hear.

I haven’t had any ear infections, I do have a very noisy toddler who can hit some decibels and often set my watch off warning me of the dangerous noise levels but I can’t think of anything else.

Hi ive had hearing loss since childhood and i talk quietly. I have trouble with projecting my voice, and when im drunk im v loud. I can't get the volume right accept on the phone xx

Oddly my daughter is quite loud, she automatically adjusts for me.