You aren’t really sure why, but you’ve been feeling cranky lately. 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. Last night your daughter seemed irritated with you when you asked her to turn up the volume of the TV over and over again resulting in her abruptly leaving the house. Why would she do that?
Maybe the real issue is 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 issue goes beyond only your ears. Research shows that even slight hearing loss puts you at risk for memory issues, cognitive decline, and even depression. What you may think is just a sign of age, could actually be a treatable medical condition. Perhaps, your co-workers didn’t exclude you from the conversation after all, maybe you missed critical conversational queues because you couldn’t hear them. The fact is, if you can’t hear very well during your day-to-day life, it can become extremely frustrating.
Discover more about hearing loss
Learning a little bit more about what you’re struggling with is a useful place to begin. For many individuals, hearing loss is a natural side effect of getting older. But for others, it might be caused by 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 erode the delicate mechanisms that help you hear.
Long-term diseases that become more common as one grows older are a possible factor as well. When you have conditions that cause issues with your blood pressure, your inner ear can become damaged.
Recognize the signs
People normally take their hearing for granted, so when it starts to fail they don’t notice the signs:
- You regularly say “what” and often need people to repeat what they said
- When there’s background noise, like an AC or fan running, you have a hard time hearing words
- You always feel like you are being excluded from the conversations
Obviously, you’d be grumpy if you’ve been coping with any of these symptoms! Depression and social solitude can be the result of feeling separated from your world.
Create a plan to treat hearing loss
Begin by asking a family member or a loved one if they have noticed you struggling to keep up with conversations or if you say “What?” a little too often. It may seem like a difficult discussion but it’s a really important one. If the answer is ‘yes’ then scheduling a hearing assessment should be your next step and will simplify things for you. Ask your loved one to accompany you to your appointment. It can be helpful to have a calm and supportive presence with you.
Your hearing exam will not only help to confirm your hearing loss but it will also gauge the degree of it. Depending on the results of your exam, we will be able to decide on your best plan going forward. In the majority of cases, that will entail getting hearing aids. You’ll definitely be able to get a set of hearing aids that will best fit your lifestyle since there are so many styles and options to choose from.
Deciding on quality hearing aids
Everybody’s hearing loss is different and we will help you determine what treatment will be best for yours. Take some to time choose the right brand and model for your needs, this may require testing a few styles and models. Hearing aids don’t just amplify sound nowadays. They can block out background sounds, link to smartphones and computers, and even pinpoint the direction that sound is coming from. Different brands and kinds of hearing aids include different features, so do some research to determine what features you require to improve your life.
Consider the style you want for your hearing aids, as well. They come in various snazzy colors or with no color at all, so they’re nearly invisible.
Schedule a hearing test with our qualified hearing specialists today if you believe you might be suffering with 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/