ALERT SIGNALS OF HEARING LOSS One or more of these problems could indicate you have a hearing impairment: You hear, but do not understand, what is being said. You have no trouble hearing in a quiet place, but cannot understand when there is any background noise such as in a crowd of people, in a noisy restaurant, or when someone talks to you while you are listening to television. You cannot hear or understand speech well at group meetings, church, lectures, or parties. You turn up the TV or radio louder than other people would like. You think that people mumble; that if they would speak clearly, you could understand them. You hear better in one ear than the other. You find yourself watching people's faces intently. You have noticed noises like ringing or buzzing, even pain, in your ears. You have been exposed to considerably high noise levels, such as tractors, machinery in factories, firing of guns, use of power tools, motorcycle riding, etc., without ear protection. You have a family history of hearing loss. You have had spells of true rotational vertigo (sensation of the room spinning) sometimes with nausea or vomiting. You have had diabetes, heart, thyroid, or circulation problems. You have been exposed to toxic drugs or fumes. You are over sixty years of age (one out of every four persons sixty-five years or older has a hearing problem).