You know you’re feeling cranky these days but you’re not exactly sure why. 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 annoying. Last night your daughter seemed irritated with you when you asked her to turn the tv volume up over and over again resulting in her abruptly leaving the house. Why would she do that?
Did you ever stop to think that perhaps you could be suffering from hearing loss?
As you get older hearing loss can take you by surprise and over 40 million people in the US suffer with it. And the problem goes beyond only your ears. Research reveals that even minor hearing loss puts you at risk for memory issues, cognitive decline, and even depression. You might have a treatable medical condition causing your hearing loss but you think it’s merely a sign of aging. Maybe, you missed essential conversational cues and your coworkers didn’t actually exclude you from the meeting after all. Honestly, it can be very aggravating when you can’t hear during your daily life.
Get the facts about hearing loss
Finding out a little more about what you’re dealing with is a practical place to begin. For many individuals, hearing loss is a normal side effect of getting older. But for other people, it may 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 heavy traffic, to mowing lawns and cleaning up leaves with that noisy leaf blower could contribute to hearing loss. The world is full of potentially ear-damaging noise that can deteriorate the delicate mechanisms that help you hear.
Another potential source of hearing loss is chronic disease that becomes more prevalent as we grow older. High blood pressure, for example, or diabetes can both affect blood flow, which can cause damage to the inner ear.
Recognize the signs
People often take their hearing for granted, so when it starts to fail they don’t detect the signs:
- When individuals are conversing, you always feel excluded
- Finding it difficult to hear words when there’s background noise like a fan or the AC
- You’re always asking people to repeat what they said or even worse, saying ‘what’ all of the time
Obviously, you’d be grumpy if you’ve been struggling with any of these signs! Feeling isolated from your world can cause depression and even social isolation.
Treating 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 frequently. It may seem like a challenging conversation but it’s a very worthwhile one. If the answer is ‘yes’ then scheduling a hearing assessment should be your next move and will simplify things for you. Ask your loved one to accompany you to your appointment. It can be helpful to have a calm and supportive person with you.
Your hearing examination will not only help to confirm your hearing loss but it will also gauge the degree of it. Depending on the results of your test, we will be able to determine your best course of action moving forward. In the majority of cases, that will involve getting hearing aids. You’ll certainly 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 choose quality hearing aids
Everybody’s hearing loss is different and we will help you figure out what treatment will be best for yours. Take some to time choose the right brand and model for your needs, this might require testing several styles and models. Today’s hearing aids do a lot more than just amplify sound. They can identify the direction that sound is originating from, block out background noise, and even link to smartphones and computers. Different brands and types of hearing aids come with different features, so research them to determine what features you require to improve your life.
Think about the style you want for your hearing aids, as well. Some models have no color and are almost invisible and other models come in vibrant colors.
Schedule a hearing exam with our qualified hearing specialists right away if you believe you could be experiencing 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/