Six simple signs of hearing problems you need to look for as millions discover they have an issue

Almost half of people over the age of 50 have some form of hearing loss, rising to more than 70 per cent of people over the age of 70, according to research from the Office of National Statistics. The total figure comes in at approximately 11 million people in the UK suffering hearing difficulties - one in six of the country’s adult population.

While tinnitus affects one in 10 adults, also leading to balance difficulties, some 6.7 million people could benefit from hearing aids. But, only around two million use them, say Hearing Link Services.

Although some people might not know they could benefit from treatment, there are simple ways to check your hearing or that of your loved ones. Hearing loss is associated not only with mental health conditions, but also with a long list of physical conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, anaemia, chronic kidney disease, rheumatoid arthritis, sleep apnoea, balance problems and an increased risk of falls.

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To help people find out if they might have a hearing problem, staff at hearing aid and audiologist experts ReSound have shared simple signs to look for:

Everyone can mishear things from time to time and need them repeated, but if you or your loved one are constantly asking for things to be repeated or muttering the phrase “what did you say?”, this could be a sign you’re lacking the sounds and signals needed to process speech properly.

Those struggling with hearing loss often complain that people aren’t speaking clearly or are mumbling. This can be due to people with hearing loss not being able to hear high-pitched speech frequencies, hearing the vowels which is the sound