You aren’t really sure why, but you’ve been feeling moody lately. Well, it was irritating earlier today when you felt left out of the meeting at the office. The other night your daughter seemed frustrated with you when you asked her to turn the tv volume up over and over again leading to her suddenly 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 take you by surprise 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 problems, and even dementia, according to some research. What you may believe is merely an indication of age, may actually be a treatable medical problem. Perhaps, your co-workers didn’t exclude you from the conversation after all, perhaps you missed crucial conversational queues because you didn’t hear them. Honestly, it can be extremely aggravating when you can’t hear during your daily life.
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 may be due to years of noise overexposure. Noise-related hearing loss can be a result of many noise sources, like mowing the lawn and leaf blowing, listening to loud music, and driving in heavy 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 possible source of hearing loss is chronic disease that becomes more prevalent as we grow older. When you have disorders that cause issues with your blood pressure, your inner ear can become damaged.
Recognize the signs
People typically don’t detect when their hearing begins to go because hearing is often taken for granted:
- When there’s background noise, like an AC or fan running, you have a hard time hearing words
- You’re always asking people to repeat themselves or even worse, saying ‘what’ all of the time
- When people are having discussions, you always feel left out
If you notice any of these hearing loss symptoms, it’s no wonder you’re grumpy! Depression and social isolation can be the consequence of feeling separated from your world.
Treating hearing loss
One of the first things you can do is ask family and friends if they have seen you having a hard time hearing. It may seem like a challenging discussion but it’s a very important one. A hearing test should be the next thing that you do, particularly if people have observed you having a hard time hearing. Ask your loved one to go along with you to your appointment. It can be helpful to have a calm and supportive person with you.
Your hearing exam will both gauge whether you’re experiencing hearing loss and how significant it has become. If hearing loss is identified, we will advise the next strategy for you based on the results of the test. In the majority of cases, that will entail getting hearing aids. You’ll certainly be able to get a pair of hearing aids that will best fit your lifestyle since there are so many styles and options to choose from.
How to select quality hearing aids
Everybody’s hearing loss is unique and we will help you figure out what treatment will be best for yours. You will most likely need to try a number of brands and models before you find the best fit for your particular taste and hearing needs. Hearing aids don’t just amplify sound these days. They can pinpoint the direction that sound is coming from, block out background noise, and even connect to smartphones and computers. Different brands and types of hearing aids offer different features, so do some research to determine what features you require to better your life.
And, remember to think about styles. Some models have no color and are virtually invisible and other models come in vibrant colors.
If you think you’re suffering from hearing loss, schedule an appointment with our qualified hearing specialists today. 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/
