Millions of people experience difficulties hearing or have hearing problems. It’s not just older people who have hearing difficulties. Young people, and even children, are increasingly affected. Hearing loss can take many different forms. The most common hearing problems include congenital deafness, age-related hearing loss, sudden / acute hearing loss, tinnitus, hearing problems caused by colds, sensorineural hearing loss, or acoustic trauma. Unless you are affected by congenital hearing loss or deafness, hearing loss typically comes on gradually and almost imperceptibly. Friends and family will often be aware of your hearing loss before you are, and will alert you to the problem. But how can you tell if you really do have hearing problems and would benefit from a hearing aid? Below are a few pointers that might help you decide whether your hearing is impaired: • Do your friends or family tell you that you have your TV on very loud? • Do you have the impressi...