You aren’t really certain why, but you’ve been feeling moody lately. Well, you did feel left out earlier today when no one took the time to pull you into the meeting discussion at the office and that was irritating. Last night your daughter seemed frustrated with you when you asked her to turn up the volume of the TV over and over again leading to her suddenly leaving the house. What’s the story with that?
Perhaps the real problem is hearing loss!
As you get older hearing loss can take you by surprise and over 40 million individuals in the US suffer with it. And the issue goes beyond just your ears. Even mild hearing loss puts you at risk of depression, memory problems, and even cognitive decline, according to some research. What you may presume is just a sign of age, may actually be a treatable medical condition. Maybe, your co-workers didn’t leave you out of the conversation after all, maybe you missed crucial conversational queues because you didn’t hear them. Honestly, it can be very frustrating when you can’t hear during your daily life.
Discover more about hearing loss
A good place to begin is learning more about what you’re dealing with. For many individuals, hearing loss is a normal side effect of getting older. But for other people, it may be caused by years of noise overexposure. Noise-induced hearing loss can be a result of many noise sources, such as 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 noise that can erode the fragile mechanisms that help you hear.
Another potential cause of hearing loss is chronic disease that becomes more prevalent with age. When you have conditions that cause issues with your blood pressure, your inner ear can become damaged.
Recognize the signs
People generally don’t recognize when their hearing starts to go because hearing is often taken for granted:
- When people are having discussions, you always feel excluded
- You regularly say “what” and often need people to repeat themselves
- When there is background sound, like an AC or fan running, you struggle to hear words
Naturally, you’d be cranky if you’ve been coping with any of these signs! Depression and social solitude can be the result of feeling separated from your world.
Managing hearing loss
One of the first things you can do is ask friends and family members if they have seen you having a hard time hearing. It may seem like a challenging talk but it’s a really worthwhile one. If if they answer ‘yes’ then scheduling a hearing examination should be your next move and will clarify things for you. Ask your loved one to accompany you to your appointment. A supportive, calming presence can be most helpful.
Your hearing test will both gauge whether you’re dealing with hearing loss and how significant it has become. Depending on the results of your exam, we will be able to figure out your best plan moving forward. In the majority of cases, that will involve getting hearing aids. You’ll certainly 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.
How to pick quality hearing aids
Everyone’s hearing loss is different and we will help you determine what treatment will be best for yours. Take some to time determine the right brand and model for your needs, this could require testing several styles and models. Today’s hearing aids do lots more than simply amplify sound. They can pinpoint the direction that sound is coming from, block out background sound, and even connect to smartphones and computers. Do some research to find out which brands and models provide the features that will best fit your lifestyle and requirements.
Also, don’t forget to think about styles. They come in various fashionable colors or with no color at all, so they’re virtually invisible.
If you think you’re dealing with hearing loss, make an appointment with our qualified hearing specialists today. Don’t you think it’s time to take action and end your grumpy state of mind?
Call Today to Set Up an Appointment
References
https://www.ncoa.org/adviser/hearing-aids/hearing-loss-america/