You’re not quite certain why, but you’ve been feeling moody lately. Well, you did feel excluded earlier today when no one bothered to bring you into the meeting discussion at the office and that was irritating. Your daughter got up and suddenly left the house after becoming annoyed when you kept asking her to turn the TV volume up. Why would she do that?
Did you ever stop to think that maybe you could be battling with hearing loss?
Hearing loss is a problem for around 40 million individuals in the US and can sneak up on you with age. And the issue goes beyond just your ears. Research indicates that even minor hearing loss puts you at risk for memory problems, dementia, and even depression. You might have a treatable medical condition causing your hearing loss but you think it’s just an indication of aging. Maybe, your co-workers didn’t exclude you from the conversation after all, maybe you missed critical conversational queues because you didn’t hear them. The fact is, if you can’t hear properly during your everyday life, it can become incredibly frustrating.
Learn more about hearing loss
Finding out a little more about what you’re struggling with is a useful place to begin. For many individuals, hearing loss is a natural side effect of getting older. But years of exposure to excessively loud noise can also be the cause for others. Noise-related hearing loss can be caused by lots of noise sources, like mowing the lawn and leaf blowing, listening to loud music, and driving in loud traffic with the window down. The fragile mechanisms in your ear can be harmed by lots of sounds in the world.
Another possible cause of hearing loss is chronic disease that becomes more common as we grow older. When you have disorders that cause problems with your blood pressure, your inner ear can become damaged.
Recognize the signs
People normally take their hearing for granted, so when it begins to fail they don’t notice the signs:
- When individuals are conversing, you always feel left out
- You regularly say “what” and often need people to repeat what they said
- Struggling to comprehend words when there’s background noise like a fan or the AC
Naturally, you’d be grumpy if you’ve been coping with any of these signs! Depression and social solitude can be the outcome of feeling detached from your world.
Develop a plan to manage hearing loss
One of the first things you can do is ask friends and family members if they have noticed you having a difficult time hearing. It’s an important discussion even if it’s a challenging one. If if they answer ‘yes’ then scheduling a hearing assessment should be your next move and will simplify things for you. Try to get a family member to accompany you to your appointment. A supportive, calming friend can be most helpful.
Your hearing examination will not only help to establish your hearing loss but it will also gauge the degree of it. Depending on the results of your exam, we will be able to specify your best plan moving forward. Typically, hearing aids will be a principal part of the treatment plan. You’ll definitely be able to get a set of hearing aids that will best fit your situation since there are so many styles and options to choose from.
Picking out quality hearing aids
We’ll have suggestions that will be best suited for your unique type of hearing loss. You will probably need to test several brands and models before you discover the best fit for your particular taste and hearing needs. Hearing aids don’t simply amplify sound these days. They can pinpoint the direction that sound is coming from, block out background sound, and even connect to smartphones and computers. Do some research to find out which brands and models provide the features that will best fit your lifestyle and needs.
And, remember to think about styles. Some models have no color and are almost invisible and other models come in vibrant 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!
Call Today to Set Up an Appointment
References
https://www.ncoa.org/adviser/hearing-aids/hearing-loss-america/