You aren’t really certain why, but you’ve been feeling moody lately. Well, it was irritating earlier this morning when you felt left out of the meeting at the office. Last night your daughter seemed irritated with you when you asked her to turn up the volume of the TV over and over again leading to her suddenly leaving the house. Why would she do that?
Did you ever stop to think that perhaps you could be experiencing hearing loss?
Hearing loss is an issue for roughly 40 million individuals in the US and can sneak up on you with age. And, the issue doesn’t end at your ears, either. Research shows that even slight hearing loss puts you at risk for memory problems, dementia, and even depression. You could have a manageable medical condition causing your hearing loss but you think it’s just a sign of aging. Maybe, you missed significant conversational cues and your coworkers didn’t actually exclude you from the meeting after all. Honestly, it can be exceedingly frustrating when you can’t hear during your day-to-day life.
Learn more about hearing loss
Finding out a little more about what you’re struggling with is a practical place to start. For many people, hearing loss is a normal side effect of getting older. But years of exposure to overly loud noise can also be the cause for others. Everything from the music you listened to when you were a teenager, to driving with the window down in heavy traffic, to mowing lawns and cleaning up leaves with that noisy leaf blower could contribute to hearing loss. The fragile mechanisms in your ear can be damaged by lots of sounds in the world.
Another possible cause of hearing loss is chronic disease that becomes more prevalent as we grow older. When you have conditions that cause problems with your blood pressure, your inner ear can become damaged.
Recognize the signs
People often take their hearing for granted, so when it starts to go they don’t detect the signs:
- When there is background sound, like an AC or fan running, you have a hard time hearing words
- You regularly say “what” and often need people to repeat themselves
- When individuals are conversing, you always feel left out
Obviously, you’d be grumpy if you’ve been dealing with any of these symptoms! Feeling detached from your world can result in depression and even social isolation.
Make a plan to treat hearing loss
Begin by asking a family member or a loved one if they have seen you working hard to keep up with conversations or if you say “What?” a little too often. It may seem like a difficult talk but it’s a very worthwhile one. A hearing exam should be the next thing that you do, especially if people have observed you having a hard time hearing. Try to get a family member to go along with you to your appointment. It can be helpful to have a calm and supportive presence with you.
Your hearing exam will both gauge whether you’re dealing with hearing loss and how significant it has become. If hearing loss is determined, we will advise the next course of action for you depending on the results of the test. Normally, hearing aids will be a major part of the treatment plan. Don’t worry, there are so many choices and features that you’re sure to get hearing aids that fit your lifestyle!
How to choose quality hearing aids
Everyone’s hearing loss is unique and we will help you discover what treatment will be best for yours. You will probably need to try a number of brands and models before you discover the best fit for your specific taste and hearing needs. Hearing aids don’t just amplify sound nowadays. They can pinpoint the direction that sound is originating from, block out background noise, and even link to smartphones and computers. Do some research to find out which brands and models have the features that will best fit your lifestyle and requirements.
And, remember to think about styles. Some models have no color and are almost invisible and other models come in dazzling colors.
If you think you’re dealing with hearing loss, schedule an appointment with our qualified hearing specialists today. It’s time to get out of that grumpy mindset and we can help!
References
https://www.ncoa.org/adviser/hearing-aids/hearing-loss-america/
