You’re not quite sure why, but you’ve been feeling cranky lately. Well, it was frustrating earlier today when you felt left out of the meeting at the office. Last night your daughter seemed frustrated with you when you asked her to turn up the volume of the TV over and over again leading to her abruptly leaving the house. What’s the story with that?
Perhaps the real issue is hearing loss!
Hearing loss is a problem for about 40 million people in the US and can sneak up on you with age. And, the issue doesn’t end at your ears, either. Research shows that even slight hearing loss puts you at risk for memory issues, dementia, and even depression. What you might think is just a sign of age, could actually be a treatable medical condition. Perhaps, your co-workers didn’t exclude you from the conversation after all, perhaps you missed critical conversational queues because you didn’t hear them. The fact is, if you can’t hear properly during your everyday life, it can become extremely frustrating.
Discover more about hearing loss
A good place to start is discovering more about what you’re dealing with. For many individuals, hearing loss is a natural side effect of getting older. But for other people, it might be caused by years of noise overexposure. Everything from the music you listened to when you were a teenager, to driving with the window down in traffic, to mowing lawns and picking up leaves with that noisy leaf blower could contribute to a loss of hearing. The world is full of potentially ear-damaging noise that can erode the fragile mechanisms that help you hear.
Another potential source of hearing loss is chronic disease that becomes more prevalent as we age. When you have conditions that cause problems with your blood pressure, your inner ear can become damaged.
Recognize the signs
People normally take their hearing for granted, so when it begins to fail they don’t recognize the signs:
- You’re always asking people to repeat what they said or even worse, saying ‘what’ all of the time
- Struggling to understand words when there’s background noise like a fan or the AC
- You always feel like you are being left out of the discussions
Obviously, you’d be cranky if you’ve been dealing with any of these signs! Depression and social solitude can be the consequence of feeling separated from your world.
Managing hearing loss
One of the very first 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. A hearing test should be the next thing that you do, particularly if people have observed you having a difficult time hearing. Try to get a loved one to go along with you to your appointment. A supportive, calming presence can be most helpful.
Your hearing test will both gauge whether you’re experiencing hearing loss and how extensive it has become. If hearing loss is established, we will recommend the next strategy for you based on the results of the exam. 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.
How to choose quality hearing aids
We’ll have suggestions that will be best suited for your distinct type of hearing loss. You will most likely need to try a few brands and models before you discover the best fit for your specific taste and hearing needs. Hearing aids don’t just amplify sound these days. They can block out background sounds, connect to smartphones and computers, and even determine the direction of a sound. Do some research to determine which brands and models have the features that will best fit your lifestyle and needs.
Also, remember to consider styles. Some models have no color and are almost invisible and other models come in dazzling colors.
If you think you’re dealing with 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!
References
https://www.ncoa.org/adviser/hearing-aids/hearing-loss-america/
