Hearing loss is a common part of life, especially with age. More than half of the individuals in the U.S. over the age of 75 have some age-related hearing loss. Whether they choose to get implants for hearing loss or are looking for the best OTC hearing aid for severe hearing loss, these can both help improve their hearing. If you’re wondering whether or not you’ve been experiencing, or will experience, hearing loss, here are 5 early warning signs of hearing loss:

1. Difficulty hearing other people clearly
If you often find yourself straining to hear someone you’re talking to, especially in noisy environments, this may be a sign of hearing loss. Furthermore, if you’re misunderstanding what they say, this is further indication that your hearing may begin to become impaired as consonant sounds tend to become hard to hear—”did you say show or throw?”

2. Asking people to repeat themselves
Hand in hand with difficulty hearing others, asking people to repeat themselves often is also a sign of hearing loss. So, if in most conversations you find yourself asking people to say what they said over and over, it’s probably time to get your hearing checked.

3. Listening to music or the television at a high volume
Have your family members asked you to turn down the volume when you thought your music or television was playing at an acceptable volume? You may require louder volumes in order to hear properly, which is an early sign of hearing loss.

4. Difficulty hearing on the phone
If you find yourself having to transfer a phone call to speaker phone in order to hear the other person, this can be a sign of hearing loss. For the most part, unless you’re in a noisy environment, putting the phone up to your ear should be loud enough.

5. The birds seem to have disappeared
When was the last time you heard birds singing or crickets chirping? As we lose hearing, higher pitched sounds become more difficult to hear. So, if you can’t hear those high frequency bird songs, it may be a sign that you are losing your hearing.

While all of these seem to be common, not so serious issues, they are typically early signs of hearing loss—especially if they occur repeatedly. It’s never a bad idea to get your hearing checked out, so why not make your life a little easier and get yourself set up for better hearing?