You know you’re feeling cranky these days but you’re not exactly sure why. Well, it was frustrating earlier today when you felt left out of the meeting at the office. Your daughter got up and suddenly left the house after becoming annoyed when you kept asking her to turn the TV volume up. What’s the story with that?
Did you ever stop to think that maybe you could be experiencing hearing loss?
As you get older hearing loss can take you by surprise and over 40 million individuals in the US suffer with it. And the problem goes beyond only your ears. Research reveals that even mild hearing loss puts you at risk for memory problems, dementia, and even depression. What you might presume is just a sign of age, could actually be a treatable medical condition. Maybe, your co-workers didn’t exclude you from the conversation after all, perhaps you missed crucial conversational queues because you couldn’t hear them. The truth is, if you can’t hear very well during your day-to-day life, it can become incredibly frustrating.
Get the facts about hearing loss
Finding out a little bit more about what you’re coping with is a useful place to start. For many individuals, hearing loss is a natural side effect of getting older. But years of exposure to excessively loud noise can also be the cause for others. 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 noisy leaf blower could contribute to a loss of hearing. The delicate mechanisms in your ear can be damaged by lots of noises in the world.
Another potential cause of hearing loss is chronic disease that becomes more prevalent as we age. When you have disorders that cause issues with your blood pressure, your inner ear can become damaged.
Recognize the signs
People normally take their hearing for granted, so when it starts to fail they don’t detect the signs:
- You always feel like you are being left out of the conversations
- You regularly say “what” and often need people to repeat themselves
- When there’s background sound, like an AC or fan running, you struggle to hear words
If you notice any of these hearing loss signs, it’s no wonder you’re grumpy! Depression and social solitude can be the result of feeling detached from your world.
Treating hearing loss
Start by asking a family member or a loved one if they have noticed you struggling to keep up with conversations or if you say “What?” a little too frequently. It’s an important conversation even if it’s a challenging one. If if they answer ‘yes’ then scheduling a hearing exam should be your next move and will clarify things for you. Ask your loved one to accompany you to your appointment. It can be helpful to have a calm and supportive presence with you.
Your hearing exam will not only help to confirm your hearing loss but it will also gauge the degree of it. Depending on the results of your exam, we will be able to decide on your best plan going forward. Typically, hearing aids will be a major part of the treatment plan. 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
Everybody’s hearing loss is unique and we will help you figure out what treatment will be best for yours. Take some to time find the correct brand and model for your needs, this may require testing several styles and models. Hearing aids don’t simply amplify sound these days. They can block out background noises, connect to smartphones and computers, and even determine the direction that sound is coming from. Do some research to find out which brands and models have the features that will best fit your lifestyle and needs.
And, remember to think about styles. They come in various fashionable colors or with no color at all, so they’re virtually invisible.
If you think you’re suffering from hearing loss, schedule an appointment with our qualified hearing specialists today. 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/