Identifying sight and hearing loss

Naomi Dainty

A man wearing glasses and holding his ear

Thousands of people in the UK are living with sight and hearing loss, but how can you tell whether you, or someone you know, is one of them?

Early signs of sight loss include:

Difficulty reading books and newspapers or watching TV
Difficulty recognising people, particularly in unexpected situations
Often thinking that you need new glasses
Being uncomfortable in bright and/or low lighting
Finding it hard to read facial expressions
Being unable to find something that you have lost without using your hands or asking for help
Finding it difficult to move around in unfamiliar places or in familiar places that have changed

Early signs of hearing loss include:

Asking people to repeat themselves or to speak louder
Difficulty hearing the TV or radio or music and/or having the volume turned up high
Not hearing the doorbell or the telephone ringing
Complaining that people are mumbling or speaking too quickly
Finding it hard to understand unfamiliar people
Avoiding using the phone

If any of these sound familiar, then we can help. To find out more about what to do next and what support is available in your local area then call us free on 0800 132320.

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