You know you’re feeling moody these days but you’re not really sure why. Well, you did feel left out earlier today when no one took the time to bring you into the meeting discussion at the office and that was irritating. Your daughter got up and suddenly left the house after becoming frustrated when you kept asking her to turn the volume on the TV up. What’s the deal with that?
Did you ever stop to think that perhaps you could be suffering from hearing loss?
As you get older hearing loss can sneak up on you and over 40 million individuals in the US suffer with it. And, the problem doesn’t end at your ears, either. Even mild hearing loss puts you at risk of depression, memory loss, and even cognitive decline, according to some research. You could have a manageable medical condition causing your hearing loss but you think it’s just a sign of aging. Perhaps, 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 properly during your day-to-day life, it can become incredibly frustrating.
Discover more about hearing loss
A good place to start is finding out more about what you’re dealing with. Hearing loss does happen to lots of people as a result of the aging process. But for other people, it might be caused by years of noise overexposure. Noise-induced hearing loss can be caused by lots of 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 sound that can deteriorate the delicate mechanisms that help you hear.
Another potential cause of hearing loss is chronic disease that becomes more common as we grow older. High blood pressure, for instance, or diabetes can both affect blood flow, which causes harm to the inner ear.
Recognize the signs
People typically don’t detect when their hearing starts to go because hearing is often taken for granted:
- When individuals are conversing, you always feel excluded
- You’re always asking people to repeat themselves or even worse, saying ‘what’ a lot
- When there’s background noise, like an AC or fan running, you have a hard time hearing words
Obviously, you’d be grumpy if you’ve been struggling with any of these symptoms! Depression and social solitude can be the outcome of feeling detached from your world.
Make a plan to treat hearing loss
One of the initial things you can do is ask family and friends if they have noticed you having a difficult time hearing. It might seem like a difficult conversation but it’s a really worthwhile one. A hearing test should be the next thing that you do, especially if people have noticed you having a difficult time hearing. Ask your 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 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 figure out your best plan going forward. In most cases, that will entail getting hearing aids. Don’t worry, there are so many choices and features that you’re sure to get hearing aids that are perfect for your lifestyle!
Picking out quality hearing aids
Everybody’s hearing loss is unique and we will help you discover what treatment will be best for yours. You will most likely need to try several brands and models before you find the best fit for your specific taste and hearing requirements. Hearing aids don’t just amplify sound these days. They can block out background noises, connect to smartphones and computers, and even determine the direction that sound is coming from. Do some research to determine which brands and models have the features that will best fit your lifestyle and needs.
Think about the style you want for your hearing aids, also. They come in many snazzy colors or with no color at all, so they are virtually invisible.
Schedule a hearing assessment with our qualified hearing specialists today if you think you could be experiencing hearing loss. It’s time to get out of that grumpy mindset and we can help!
References
https://www.ncoa.org/adviser/hearing-aids/hearing-loss-america/