You know you’re feeling moody these days but you’re not exactly certainly why. Well, you did feel excluded earlier today when no one bothered to bring you into the meeting discussion at the office and that was aggravating. Last night your daughter seemed annoyed 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. What’s the deal with that?
Did you ever stop to think that perhaps you could be suffering from hearing loss?
As you age hearing loss can sneak up on you and over 40 million individuals in the US suffer with it. And, the issue doesn’t end at your ears, either. Research shows that even slight hearing loss puts you at risk for memory problems, dementia, and even depression. What you might think is simply a sign of age, may actually be a treatable medical condition. Perhaps, you missed significant conversational cues and your coworkers didn’t actually exclude you from the meeting after all. Honestly, it can be exceedingly aggravating when you can’t hear during your day-to-day life.
Discover more about hearing loss
Finding out a little more about what you’re dealing with is a useful place to begin. Hearing loss does happen to lots of people as a result of the aging process. But for others, it may be caused by years of noise overexposure. Noise-related hearing loss can be caused by 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 sound that can deteriorate the delicate mechanisms that help you hear.
Another possible cause 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 usually don’t detect when their hearing begins to go because hearing is often taken for granted:
- When individuals are having discussions, you always feel left out
- You frequently say “what” and often need people to repeat themselves
- When there is background noise, like an AC or fan running, you struggle to hear words
Naturally, you’d be grumpy if you’ve been dealing with any of these symptoms! Feeling detached from your world can cause depression and even social solitude.
Managing hearing loss
One of the very first things you can do is ask family and friends if they have observed you having a hard time hearing. It might seem like a challenging talk but it’s a really worthwhile one. If if they answer ‘yes’ then scheduling a hearing exam should be your next move and will clarify things for you. Try to get a loved one to accompany you to your exam. It can be helpful to have a calm and supportive person with you.
Your hearing test will both gauge whether you’re experiencing hearing loss and how significant it has become. Depending on the results of your exam, we will be able to decide on your best course of action moving forward. Normally, hearing aids will be a principal part of the treatment plan. 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 pick from.
Picking out quality hearing aids
Everybody’s hearing loss is unique and we will help you discover what treatment will be best for yours. Take some to time choose the right brand and model for your needs, this might require testing a few styles and models. Today’s hearing aids do a lot more than just amplify sound. They can block out background sounds, connect to smartphones and computers, and even determine the direction of a sound. Different brands and kinds of hearing aids include different features, so do some research to determine what features you need to better your life.
Also, remember to consider styles. They come in various snazzy colors or with no color at all, so they are nearly invisible.
If you think you’re experiencing hearing loss, schedule an appointment with our qualified hearing specialists right away. It’s time to get out of that cranky mindset and we can help!
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References
https://www.ncoa.org/adviser/hearing-aids/hearing-loss-america/