The loss or reduction of hearing ability, if it is not the result of an accident or an illness, is usually an easily-recognised process, indicated by a worsening of certain hearing experiences.

Looking at this in detail, it appears that the most common symptoms among patients who have a gradual hypoacusis are:

The need for words to be repeated
The hard-of-hearing miss words and phrases either because they don't understand them or because they confuse them with other words or because they can hear, at the same time, low-frequency sounds (such as electrical household appliances or traffic), which become irritating.

Difficulty in understanding a conversation in certain circumstances
If more than one person is speaking at the same time, if the conversation takes place in traffic or inside a car, understanding is more difficult.

Misunderstandings in conversation
The first sounds, which are not heard are the 'high tones'. Words contain both low frequency sounds, as in vowels for example, and high frequency sounds, mainly in some consonants. Some words can be misunderstood or not heard especially when spoken by children who have shriller voices with higher tones.

Need to turn up the volume of the television!