You’re not quite sure why, but you’ve been feeling cranky lately. Well, you did feel excluded earlier this morning when no one took the time to bring you into the meeting discussion at the office and that was aggravating. Your daughter got up and abruptly left the house after becoming frustrated when you kept asking her to turn the volume on the TV up. What’s the story with that?
Did you ever stop to think that maybe you could be experiencing hearing loss?
Hearing loss is a problem for roughly 40 million people in the US and can sneak up on you with age. And the problem goes beyond only your ears. Even mild hearing loss puts you at risk of depression, memory loss, and even dementia, according to some research. You might have a manageable medical condition causing your hearing loss but you think it’s just a sign of aging. Maybe, your co-workers didn’t leave you out of the conversation after all, perhaps you missed critical conversational queues because you didn’t hear them. Honestly, it can be very frustrating when you can’t hear during your day-to-day life.
Get the facts about hearing loss
Learning a little more about what you’re coping with is a practical place to start. For many people, hearing loss is a normal side effect of getting older. But for others, it might be caused by years of noise overexposure. Noise-related hearing loss can be caused by 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 noise that can erode the delicate mechanisms that help you hear.
Another potential source of hearing loss is chronic disease that becomes more common with age. When you have disorders that cause issues with your blood pressure, your inner ear can become damaged.
Recognize the signs
People often take their hearing for granted, so when it begins to fail they don’t notice the signs:
- You’re always asking people to repeat what they said or even worse, saying ‘what’ a lot
- You always feel like you are being left out of the discussions
- Finding it difficult to comprehend words when there’s background noise like a fan or the AC
Obviously, you’d be grumpy if you’ve been coping with any of these signs! Feeling isolated from your world can result in depression and even social solitude.
Managing hearing loss
Begin by asking a family member or a loved one if they have seen you working hard to hear conversations or if you say “What?” a little too often. It may seem like a challenging conversation but it’s a really worthwhile one. A hearing examination should be next on your list, particularly if people have noticed you having a hard time hearing. Try to get a family member to go along with you to your appointment. A supportive, calming presence can be really helpful.
Your hearing test will both gauge whether you’re experiencing hearing loss and how extensive it has become. If hearing loss is determined, we will recommend the next strategy for you depending on the results of the test. In most cases, that will involve getting hearing aids. 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.
Deciding on quality hearing aids
We’ll have recommendations that will be best suited for your distinct type of hearing loss. You will most likely need to test a number of brands and models before you find the best fit for your specific taste and hearing requirements. Hearing aids don’t simply amplify sound nowadays. They can block out background noises, link to smartphones and computers, and even pinpoint the direction of a sound. Different brands and types of hearing aids offer different features, so research them to find out what features you require to better your life.
Think about the style you want for your hearing aids, as well. Some models have no color and are virtually invisible and other models come in vibrant colors.
Schedule a hearing test with our qualified hearing specialists today if you believe you might be suffering with hearing loss. Don’t you think it’s time to take action and end your cranky state of mind?
References
https://www.ncoa.org/adviser/hearing-aids/hearing-loss-america/