You aren’t really certain why, but you’ve been feeling cranky lately. Well, you did feel left out earlier this morning when no one took the time to pull you into the meeting discussion at the office and that was annoying. 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. Why would she do that?
Perhaps the real issue 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 problem goes beyond only your ears. Even mild hearing loss puts you at risk of depression, memory problems, and even dementia, according to some research. You might have a treatable medical condition causing your hearing loss but you think it’s merely an indication of aging. Maybe, your co-workers didn’t leave you out of the conversation after all, maybe you missed crucial 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 incredibly frustrating.
Learn more about hearing loss
A good place to begin is learning more about what you’re dealing with. Hearing loss does happen to lots of people due to the aging process. But years of exposure to excessively loud noise can also be the cause for others. Noise-related hearing loss can be caused by lots of noise sources, like mowing the lawn and leaf blowing, listening to loud music, and driving in loud traffic with the window down. The fragile mechanisms in your ear can be harmed by lots of sounds in the world.
Another potential cause of hearing loss is chronic disease that becomes more common with age. When you have disorders that cause problems with your blood pressure, your inner ear can become damaged.
Recognize the signs
People usually take their hearing for granted, so when it begins to go they don’t detect the signs:
- Struggling to hear words when there’s background noise like a fan or the AC
- You frequently say “what” and often need people to repeat what they said
- When people are having discussions, you continually feel left out
Obviously, you’d be cranky if you’ve been dealing with any of these symptoms! Feeling isolated from your world can result in depression and even social isolation.
Make a plan to manage hearing loss
One of the initial things you can do is ask family and friends if they have noticed you having a hard time hearing. It might seem like a challenging discussion but it’s a really important one. If the answer is ‘yes’ then scheduling a hearing test should be your next move and will simplify things for you. Try to get a 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 test will both gauge whether you’re dealing with hearing loss and how extensive it has become. If hearing loss is identified, we will recommend the next strategy for you depending on the results of the test. Usually, hearing aids will be a principal part of the treatment plan. You’ll definitely 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
We’ll have suggestions that will be best suited for your unique type of hearing loss. You will most likely need to evaluate a number of brands and models before you discover the best fit for your particular taste and hearing needs. Today’s hearing aids do a lot more than just amplify sound. They can block out background noises, link to smartphones and computers, and even pinpoint the direction of a sound. Do some research to determine which brands and models provide the features that will best fit your lifestyle and needs.
Also, remember to think about styles. Some models have no color and are almost invisible and other models come in dazzling colors.
If you think you’re suffering from hearing loss, schedule an appointment with our qualified hearing specialists right away. It’s time to get out of that grumpy mindset and we can help!
Call Today to Set Up an Appointment
References
https://www.ncoa.org/adviser/hearing-aids/hearing-loss-america/