You’re not really sure why, but you’ve been feeling moody lately. Well, it was aggravating earlier today when you felt left out of the meeting at work. 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 perhaps you could be experiencing hearing loss?
Hearing loss is an issue for around 40 million people 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 issues, dementia, and even depression. You might have a treatable medical condition causing your hearing loss but you think it’s merely a sign of aging. Perhaps, your co-workers didn’t exclude you from the conversation after all, perhaps you missed crucial conversational queues because you couldn’t hear them. The truth 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 practical place to begin. Hearing loss does happen to many people due to the aging process. But years of exposure to overly loud noise can also be the cause for others. Noise-induced hearing loss can be caused by many noise sources, including 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 erode the fragile mechanisms that help you hear.
Another potential source of hearing loss is chronic disease that becomes more prevalent with age. High blood pressure, for instance, or diabetes can both hinder blood flow, which can cause harm to the inner ear.
Recognize the signs
People normally take their hearing for granted, so when it starts to fail they don’t recognize the signs:
- You’re always asking people to repeat themselves or even worse, saying ‘what’ all of the time
- When there is background sound, like an AC or fan running, you struggle to hear words
- You always feel like you are being excluded from the conversations
If you detect any of these hearing loss signs, it’s no wonder you’re grumpy! Feeling isolated from your world can trigger depression and even social solitude.
Managing hearing loss
Begin by asking a family member or a loved one if they have seen you struggling to keep up with conversations or if you say “What?” a little too frequently. It’s a crucial discussion even if it’s a challenging one. A hearing exam should be the next thing that you do, particularly if people have noticed you having a hard time hearing. Try to get a loved one to go along with you to your exam. It can be helpful to have a calm and supportive person with you.
Your hearing exam will not only help to establish your hearing loss but it will also gauge the extent of it. Depending on the results of your test, we will be able to determine your best plan going forward. Normally, 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 lifestyle since there are so many styles and options to pick from.
Deciding on quality hearing aids
Everybody’s hearing loss is different and we will help you decide what treatment will be best for yours. You will most likely need to test several brands and models before you find the best fit for your particular taste and hearing needs. Today’s hearing aids do lots more than just amplify sound. They can block out background noises, link to smartphones and computers, and even determine the direction of a sound. Different brands and kinds of hearing aids include different features, so research them to determine what features you need to improve your life.
Consider the style you want for your hearing aids, as well. They come in lots of snazzy colors or with no color at all, so they’re nearly invisible.
Schedule a hearing exam 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!
References
https://www.ncoa.org/adviser/hearing-aids/hearing-loss-america/
