You know you’re feeling moody these days but you’re not really sure why. 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 irritating. The other night your daughter seemed annoyed with you when you asked her to turn up the volume of the TV over and over again resulting in her suddenly leaving the house. What’s the story with 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 doesn’t end at your ears, either. Research indicates that even minor hearing loss puts you at risk for memory issues, cognitive decline, and even depression. What you may think is just a sign of age, could actually be a treatable medical problem. Maybe, you missed essential conversational cues and your coworkers didn’t actually exclude you from the meeting after all. The truth is, if you can’t hear very well during your day-to-day life, it can become extremely frustrating.
Get the facts about hearing loss
Finding out a little bit more about what you’re dealing with is a practical place to begin. Hearing loss does happen to lots of people as a result of the aging process. But years of exposure to excessively loud noise 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 loud traffic with the window down. The delicate mechanisms in your ear can be damaged by lots of noises in the world.
Another possible source 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 there’s background noise, like an AC or fan running, you struggle to hear words
- When people are having discussions, you always feel left out
- You regularly say “what” and often need people to repeat themselves
Obviously, you’d be cranky if you’ve been coping with any of these symptoms! Feeling separated from your world can lead to depression and even social isolation.
Managing hearing loss
One of the initial things you can do is ask friends and family members if they have seen you having a hard time hearing. It’s an important discussion even if it’s a challenging one. If if they answer ‘yes’ then scheduling a hearing examination should be your next step and will clarify things for you. Ask your loved one to accompany you to your appointment. A supportive, calming presence can be really helpful.
Your hearing test will both gauge whether you’re experiencing hearing loss and how extensive it has become. Depending on the results of your exam, we will be able to specify your best course of action moving forward. In the majority of instances, that will involve getting hearing aids. 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.
Deciding on quality hearing aids
We’ll have recommendations that will be best suited for your individual type of hearing loss. You will most likely 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 simply amplify sound these days. They can identify the direction that sound is coming 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 needs.
And, don’t forget to think about styles. They come in various fashionable colors or with no color at all, so they are virtually invisible.
If you think you’re suffering from hearing loss, schedule an appointment with our qualified hearing specialists right away. 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/