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.

Have you had a cold recently? It can affect the pressure in your ears. Definitely go for a check up to see if your ears are blocked.

I’m hard of hearing and wear hearing aids. Until you get checked, my advice is to make sure that you face people when you are speaking to them and try to stand no more than 6 feet away so that your voice projects directly towards them. If you are asked to speak up, make sure that you do increase the volume because it’s incredibly frustrating when someone keeps mumbling quietly. They will tell you if you are too loud!

Sounds like your mumbling.

Please see your GP, speaking more quietly than usual is symptomatic of a number of diseases, some of which are best caught early.

Do your muscles tire easily?
Do you have acid reflux?
Are you breathing in food?

Your GP should explore this and refer you.

I’m also wondering if you’ve had your thyroid levels checked recently. An under active thyroid can affect both hearing and speech.

Have you tried recording yourself speak then play it back for yourself? Regardless make a GP appointment.

I have had low iron levels in the past, post partum.

I will try this.

Was also going to say thyroid. My mum can always tell if I’m underactive on the phone.

Though to me it’s more like Mariella Frostrup.

As retired Audiologist, speaking quietly is symptomatic of a conductive hearing loss.
You can obtain a free hearing test from the NHS (long waiting list !) or visit one fof the many high street suppliers of hearing aids (Specsavers, Boots etc) for an immediate free test and no obligation
Good luck !!!

Oh that is interesting!

My DH recently had a blocked ear and was talking quietly as he could hear himself internally more loudly, if that makes sense. I have some hereditary hearing loss so it was a very bad combo and I spent a lot of time squawking at him to speak up! Agree with the rec for Specsavers.

This can be neurological. Can you download a decibel monitor on your phone and see how loud you are compared to other people?
if you are speaking more quietly I’d definitely get this checked out and don’t be dismissed by your GP.

You should see an ENT specialist. If it isn’t your ears it may be your throat/larynx.

Defo go and see the GP. Particularly if you’ve been having crackling and popping in your ears. Before you go write down all/any symptoms that you can think of and take the list with you. Anything ear nose throat related or anything else. Let us know how you get on. All sorts can affect your throat and ears, it could be neurological, ent related, autonomic system related, all sorts; hopefully you have a good GP whi can help you get to the bottom of it. X

You don't need to have had an ear infection to have blocked ears. It's typically caused by a build up of wax, which can happen for various reasons including but not limited to having a narrow ear canal, being a frequent swimmer, wearing ear phones too often, or just age. I've needed to have my ears cleared every 2-3 years since I was in my late 30s. Once they're really bad it feels like you've got earplugs in, but as it builds up you just have a gradual deterioration in what you can hear and for me it makes me speak more quietly because my voice sounds louder in my head. I'm not an expert though, you really need to go get your ears checked out to see what is going on.

I wouldn't bother with your GP by the way, mines gave me a steriod spray to shoot up my nose after a phone consultation which just gave me unfortunate side effects. Specsavers tend to have a professional audiologist on-site, as do other opticians.

DH goes really quiet when he has an ear infection. Drives everyone crazy as no matter how many
times we tell him he is talking quietly he refuses to speak up!

Just to add OP, my DH complained for a long time that he could barely hear me, and I scoffed that he should get his ears checked. Then I discovered that I was turning the TV up louder and louder and I still couldn't hear the dialogue properly (and I made a couple of embarrassing gaffes at work through mis-hearing), so I went to Specsavers for a hearing test. Slightly unusually (according to audiologist), I've lost my mid-range hearing, where you capture consonants and vowels in speech. I also have a permanent perforation in one eardrum, which I had no idea about, but no wax at all.

Fitted with hearing aids, things got a lot clearer then DH said "I can tell when you've got your hearing aids in because you speak louder and more clearly." Again, I rolled my eyes and said don't be daft, surely I'd talk louder if I couldn't hear myself!

Asked the audiologist on my next visit - wrong again, apparently you DO speak more softly if you have hearing impairment! I can't remember why but there it is.

Definitely worth a hearing test.

It’s very important you get this addressed. Undealt with hearing problems are one of the first dementia indicators.

Someone who actually gets it…I was thinking I was losing my mind when everyone was saying that it would be the opposite.

I have significant hearing loss and I find that in quieter situations I don’t talk loudly enough, whispering is quite difficult because I can’t work out whether I’m quiet enough or not. But if I have a headset on at work I can end up speaking quite loudly because there is nothing to compare it to in the room with me.

I have hearing loss and have hearing aids which I don't wear that regularly but I wear them when I 'need' to hear if you know what I mean I can usually hear face to face .when I am wearing my hearing aids my son said I speak very quietly compared to when I am not wearing them. How is your own hearing? Try recording yourself at what you feel is a normal volume for you and playing it back and seeing if you can hear it. it's worth a quick doctors appointment if you can get one.

Does that mean that I'd you do deal with the problem it isn't a dementia indicator?

I have some concerns about a family member and would like to understand why not dealing with the issue would be an indicator, I can't work it out

That was excellent and thanks for the link. My hearing was good despite having tinnitus but squinting with one eye helped balance that out 😂

OP are you ennunciating your words properly?

Parkinson's can make your voice go very quiet

OP, definitely get your hearing checked. My mum is like this and is very hard of hearing. You can usually self-refer for audiology. Good luck.