You know you’re feeling cranky these days but you’re not exactly sure why. 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 aggravating. Your daughter got up and abruptly left the house after becoming frustrated when you kept asking her to turn the TV volume up. What’s the deal with that?
Did you ever stop to think that perhaps you could be experiencing 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 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 could have a manageable medical condition causing your hearing loss but you think it’s just a sign of aging. Perhaps, you missed essential conversational cues and your coworkers didn’t actually leave you out of the meeting after all. Honestly, it can be exceedingly 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 useful place to start. Hearing loss does happen to lots of individuals due to the aging process. But for others, it might be caused by years of noise overexposure. Everything from the music you listened to when you were 16, to driving with the window down in traffic, to mowing lawns and picking up leaves with that loud leaf blower could contribute to a loss of hearing. The delicate mechanisms in your ear can be harmed by lots of noises in the world.
Long-term diseases that become more prevalent as one grows older are a potential factor as well. 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 starts to fail they don’t notice the signs:
- When individuals are having discussions, you continually feel left out
- When there’s background sound, like an AC or fan running, you struggle to hear words
- You’re always asking people to repeat themselves or even worse, saying ‘what’ a lot
Naturally, you’d be cranky if you’ve been dealing with any of these symptoms! Depression and social solitude can be the outcome of feeling detached from your world.
Develop a plan to manage hearing loss
One of the first things you can do is ask friends and family members if they have observed you having a difficult time hearing. It might seem like a difficult discussion but it’s a very worthwhile one. If if they answer ‘yes’ then scheduling a hearing test should be your next step and will clarify things for you. Try to get a loved one to go along with 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 test, we will be able to specify your best course of action going forward. Normally, hearing aids will be a principal part of the treatment plan. Don’t worry, there are so many choices and features that you’re certain to find hearing aids that fit your lifestyle!
Picking out quality hearing aids
We’ll have suggestions that will be best suited for your unique type of hearing loss. You will probably need to try a number of brands and models before you determine the best fit for your particular taste and hearing needs. Hearing aids don’t simply amplify sound these days. They can determine the direction that sound is coming from, block out background sound, and even connect to smartphones and computers. Different brands and kinds of hearing aids come with different features, so do some research to find out what features you require to improve your life.
Also, remember to think about styles. Some models have no color and are almost invisible and other models come in vibrant colors.
Schedule a hearing test with our qualified hearing specialists right away if you believe you could 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/