Have you ever attempted to disregard a toothache? They can be pretty tough. At some point, you’re absolutely begging to go see a dentist. The same thing takes place when your eyesight starts to blur. You’ll probably call an ophthalmologist when you begin to have trouble reading street signs. But the concern is, when your hearing starts to go you might not show such urgency.
This would more than likely be a mistake. There are appreciable health issues (especially mental health problems) that can develop as a consequence of untreated hearing loss. Regrettably, it’s pretty difficult to address your diminishing hearing if you don’t know about it. And that’s difficulty number two.
You Might Have Hearing Loss if You Notice These Symptoms
We normally take our hearing for granted. A high volume music event? No big deal.. Blaring ear pods? You like to listen to your podcasts like this. But every one of those choices, especially over time, will have a substantial impact on your general hearing.
Regrettably, those impacts might be hard to notice. The indications of hearing loss can be nearly invisible because they sneak up so slowly over time. So you should take some time to learn some basic red flags (and to be certain you don’t ignore them):
- When you listen to casual speech, you have an especially difficult time making out consonants
- You experience sudden problems with short term memory
- You continually blow the speakers in your earpods because you need the volume up too loud
- It’s challenging to follow conversations in loud or crowded environments
- You find yourself asking those around you to repeat themselves frequently
- You keep turning up the volume on your car stereo, television, or your smartphone
- Distorted or muffled sounding voices from individuals around you (co-workers, family, friends)
- You have a hard time falling asleep at night and feel exhausted for no apparent reason
These symptoms, red flags, or warnings are all fairly well known. At first, you will be somewhat oblivious to your symptoms, particularly if they come on slowly, because your brain will instantly start to compensate. That’s the reason why you should schedule an appointment with your hearing care specialist because these warning symptoms should be taken seriously.
What Going to Happen if You Neglect Your Hearing Loss?
Indeed, some individuals are quite obstinate. Or the idea of wearing hearing aids is just too unwelcome. They believe that wearing hearing aids causes them to appear old. But in reality, most modern hearing aids are practically undetectable (and it’s helpful when you can hear and engage in conversations).
Still, if you neglect hearing loss it could lead to numerous problems:
- Your relationships could fray: There’s something that occurs when you have a difficult time understanding your family and friends: you start having fewer interactions with them. You don’t call to say hi, you don’t keep up with what’s going on with them, you withdraw. And that can damage some of those relationships, especially if the problem is hearing loss that you have kept secret (and not because you’re mad at them).
- Your hearing could get worse: If you don’t use hearing aids or increased ear protection, You’ll keep turning up your devices. Or you’ll keep going to rock concerts without any earplugs. And your hearing will continue declining as you continue doing harm to your ears.
- You could suffer from depression and cognitive decline: As your relationships falter and going out becomes more difficult, you might begin to detect signs of depression. You might also start to go through some cognitive decline if your brain doesn’t receive the auditory activation that it’s used to, your neural physiology begins to experience specific changes. If your hearing loss isn’t dealt with, it can bring about longterm cognitive concerns.
Hearing Loss Shouldn’t be Ignored
Clearly, neglecting your hearing loss can cause bigger and more significant problems later on. But the inverse is true: acknowledging and treating your hearing loss can enhance your quality of life significantly. When you can hear, your relationships improve and your every day life seems fuller. And your overall health will be enhanced by consulting a hearing specialist or at least downloading a noise monitoring app.
Hearing loss is definitely a health condition you shouldn’t neglect. The sooner you find the correct treatment, the happier you’ll be. Deal with your hearing loss before it gets too severe to ignore.
