You’re not really certain why, but you’ve been feeling cranky lately. Well, you did feel left out earlier this morning when no one took the time to bring you into the meeting discussion at the office and that was aggravating. Your daughter got up and abruptly left the house after becoming irritated when you kept asking her to turn the volume on the TV up. What’s the story with that?
Did you ever stop to think that maybe you could be battling with 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. Even slight hearing loss puts you at risk of depression, memory problems, and even cognitive decline, according to some research. What you might presume is just an indication of age, could actually be a treatable medical condition. 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 daily life.
Get the facts about hearing loss
A good place to start is finding out more about what you’re dealing with. For many individuals, hearing loss is a natural side effect of growing older. But years of exposure to excessively loud sound can also be the cause for others. Noise-related hearing loss can be a result of many noise sources, including mowing the lawn and leaf blowing, listening to loud music, and driving in heavy traffic with the window down. The fragile mechanisms in your ear can be damaged by lots of sounds in the world.
Another potential source of hearing loss is chronic disease that becomes more common as we grow older. High blood pressure, for instance, or diabetes can both hinder blood flow, which causes damage to the inner ear.
Recognize the signs
People often take their hearing for granted, so when it starts to fail they don’t recognize the signs:
- You frequently say “what” and often need people to repeat what they said
- You regularly feel like you are being left out of the conversations
- Finding it difficult to hear 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! Feeling separated from your world can trigger depression and even social solitude.
Treating hearing loss
One of the very first things you can do is ask friends and family members if they have noticed you having a hard time hearing. It’s a crucial discussion even if it’s a challenging one. A hearing exam should be next on your list, especially if people have noticed you having a hard time hearing. Try to get a loved one to accompany you to your appointment. It can be helpful to have a calm and supportive friend with you.
Your hearing test will both gauge whether you’re dealing with hearing loss and how significant it has become. If hearing loss is identified, we will advise the next course of action for you depending on the results of the test. Usually, hearing aids will be a major part of the treatment plan. You’ll certainly be able to get a set of hearing aids that will best fit your situation since there are so many styles and options to pick from.
How to choose quality hearing aids
We’ll have recommendations that will be best suited for your unique type of hearing loss. Take some to time choose the right brand and model for your needs, this might require testing several styles and models. Today’s hearing aids do a lot more than simply amplify sound. They can pinpoint the direction that sound is coming from, block out background sound, and even link to smartphones and computers. Do some research to find out which brands and models provide the features that will best fit your lifestyle and requirements.
Think about the style you want for your hearing aids, also. Some models have no color and are nearly invisible and other models come in vibrant colors.
If you think you’re suffering from hearing loss, schedule an appointment with our qualified hearing specialists today. It’s time to get out of that cranky mindset and we can help!
References
https://www.ncoa.org/adviser/hearing-aids/hearing-loss-america/