You know you’re feeling moody these days but you’re not really certainly why. Well, you did feel excluded earlier today when no one took the time to pull you into the meeting discussion at the office and that was annoying. Last night your daughter seemed frustrated with you when you asked her to turn up the volume of the TV over and over again resulting in her abruptly leaving the house. Why would she do that?
Did you ever stop to think that perhaps you could be experiencing hearing loss?
As you age hearing loss can sneak up on you and over 40 million individuals in the US suffer with it. And the issue goes beyond only your ears. Research reveals that even mild hearing loss puts you at risk for memory problems, cognitive decline, and even depression. You could have a manageable medical condition causing your hearing loss but you think it’s merely 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. Honestly, it can be very aggravating when you can’t hear during your daily life.
Get the facts about hearing loss
A good place to begin is learning more about what you’re coping with. For many individuals, hearing loss is a natural side effect of getting older. But years of exposure to overly loud noise can also be the cause for others. Noise-induced hearing loss can be a result of many noise sources, like mowing the lawn and leaf blowing, listening to loud music, and driving in loud traffic with the window down. The world is full of potentially ear-damaging noise that can deteriorate the fragile mechanisms that help you hear.
Chronic diseases that become more prevalent as one grows older are a potential factor as well. High blood pressure, for example, or diabetes can both hinder blood flow, which causes damage to the inner ear.
Recognize the signs
People normally take their hearing for granted, so when it starts to go they don’t recognize the signs:
- You always feel like you are being excluded from the discussions
- You regularly say “what” and often need people to repeat themselves
- Struggling to understand words when there is 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 cause depression and even social solitude.
Treating hearing loss
Begin by asking a family member or a loved one if they have noticed you working hard to keep up with conversations or if you say “What?” a little too often. It’s a crucial conversation even if it’s a difficult one. A hearing test should be the next thing that you do, particularly if people have noticed you having a tough time hearing. Try to get a family member to go along with you to your exam. It can be helpful to have a calm and supportive person with you.
Your hearing test will both gauge whether you’re experiencing hearing loss and how extensive it has become. If hearing loss is established, we will recommend the next course of action for you depending on the results of the exam. Normally, hearing aids will be a major part of the treatment plan. Don’t stress, there are so many choices and features that you’re certain to get hearing aids that fit your lifestyle!
Deciding on quality hearing aids
We’ll have suggestions that will be best suited for your individual type of hearing loss. You will probably need to try a number of brands and models before you discover the best fit for your particular taste and hearing needs. Today’s hearing aids do so much more than just amplify sound. They can block out background noises, link to smartphones and computers, and even pinpoint the direction that sound is coming from. Do some research to find out which brands and models have the features that will best fit your lifestyle and needs.
And, remember to consider styles. Some models have no color and are almost invisible and other models come in dazzling colors.
Schedule a hearing test with our qualified hearing specialists right away if you suspect you might be suffering with hearing loss. It’s time to get out of that cranky mindset and we can help!
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References
https://www.ncoa.org/adviser/hearing-aids/hearing-loss-america/