You’re not quite certain why, but you’ve been feeling cranky lately. Well, you did feel left out earlier today when no one bothered to bring 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 the tv volume up over and over again leading to her abruptly leaving the house. Why would she do that?
Perhaps the real issue is hearing loss!
Hearing loss is a problem for about 40 million individuals in the US and can sneak up on you with age. And, the problem doesn’t end at your ears, either. Even slight hearing loss puts you at risk of depression, memory loss, and even dementia, according to some research. You could have a treatable medical condition causing your hearing loss but you think it’s simply a sign of aging. 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. Honestly, it can be exceedingly aggravating when you can’t hear during your day-to-day life.
Learn more about hearing loss
Learning a little bit more about what you’re coping with is a useful place to begin. Hearing loss does happen to lots of people due to the aging process. But for others, it might 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 fragile mechanisms in your ear can be damaged by lots of noises in the world.
Long-term diseases that become more prevalent with age are a possible factor as well. When you have disorders that cause issues with your blood pressure, your inner ear can become damaged.
Recognize the signs
People typically don’t recognize when their hearing begins to go because hearing is often taken for granted:
- You regularly feel like you are being excluded from the conversations
- Finding it difficult to comprehend words when there’s background noise like a fan or the AC
- You regularly say “what” and often need people to repeat themselves
Naturally, you’d be grumpy if you’ve been struggling with any of these signs! Depression and social solitude can be the consequence of feeling detached from your world.
Treating hearing loss
One of the initial things you can do is ask family and friends if they have noticed you having a difficult time hearing. It’s an important discussion even if it’s a challenging one. If if they answer ‘yes’ then scheduling a hearing test should be your next move and will simplify things for you. Try to get a loved one to accompany you to your appointment. A supportive, calming presence can be most helpful.
Your hearing test will not only help to confirm your hearing loss but it will also gauge the extent of it. If hearing loss is identified, we will recommend the next strategy for you based on the results of the test. In the majority of instances, that will entail getting hearing aids. Don’t stress, there are so many choices and features that you’re certain to get hearing aids that fit your lifestyle!
How to pick quality hearing aids
We’ll have suggestions that will be best suited for your individual type of hearing loss. Take some to time find the correct brand and model for your needs, this may require testing a few styles and models. Hearing aids don’t simply amplify sound nowadays. They can pinpoint the direction that sound is coming from, block out background noise, and even connect to smartphones and computers. Different brands and kinds of hearing aids have different features, so do some research to find out what features you require to better your life.
Think about the style you want for your hearing aids, too. Some models have no color and are virtually invisible and other models come in vibrant colors.
Schedule a hearing assessment with our qualified hearing specialists right away if you think you may be experiencing 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/