You’re not really certain why, but you’ve been feeling moody lately. Well, it was annoying earlier today when you felt left out of the meeting at work. The other night your daughter seemed annoyed with you when you asked her to turn the tv volume up over and over again leading to her abruptly leaving the house. 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 individuals in the US and can sneak up on you with age. And, the problem doesn’t end at your ears, either. Research reveals that even minor hearing loss puts you at risk for memory problems, dementia, and even depression. You could have a manageable medical condition causing your hearing loss but you think it’s merely an indication of aging. Perhaps, you missed significant 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
A good place to start is learning more about what you’re coping with. For many people, hearing loss is a normal side effect of getting older. But years of exposure to excessively loud sound can also be the cause for others. Noise-related hearing loss can be a result of many noise sources, including mowing the lawn and leaf blowing, listening to loud music, and driving in loud traffic with the window down. The world is full of potentially ear-damaging noise that can deteriorate the delicate mechanisms that help you hear.
Another possible cause of hearing loss is chronic disease that becomes more common as we grow older. High blood pressure, for example, or diabetes can both affect blood flow, which can cause harm to the inner ear.
Recognize the signs
People typically don’t detect when their hearing starts to go because hearing is frequently taken for granted:
- You’re always asking people to repeat what they said or even worse, saying ‘what’ all of the time
- You always feel like you are being excluded from the discussions
- When there is background sound, like an AC or fan running, you have a hard time hearing words
If you detect any of these hearing loss signs, it’s no wonder you’re cranky! Depression and social isolation can be the result of feeling separated from your world.
Create a plan to treat hearing loss
Start by asking a family member or a loved one if they have seen you struggling to keep up with conversations or if you say “What?” a little too often. It might seem like a challenging talk but it’s a very worthwhile one. If if they answer ‘yes’ then scheduling a hearing exam should be your next step and will simplify things for you. Ask your loved one to go along with you to your appointment. A supportive, calming friend can be most helpful.
Your hearing test will both gauge whether you’re experiencing hearing loss and how significant it has become. Depending on the results of your exam, we will be able to determine your best plan going forward. In most instances, 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 pick from.
Deciding on quality hearing aids
We’ll have recommendations that will be best suited for your individual type of hearing loss. Take some to time determine the correct brand and model for your needs, this may require testing a few styles and models. Today’s hearing aids do lots more than simply amplify sound. They can block out background noises, connect to smartphones and computers, and even determine the direction of a sound. Different brands and types of hearing aids include different features, so research them to find out what features you need to improve your life.
Think about the style you want for your hearing aids, as well. They come in lots of snazzy colors or with no color at all, so they’re virtually invisible.
Schedule a hearing test with our qualified hearing specialists today if you think you might be suffering with hearing loss. Don’t you think it’s time to take action and end your grumpy state of mind?
Call Today to Set Up an Appointment
References
https://www.ncoa.org/adviser/hearing-aids/hearing-loss-america/