You aren’t really certain why, but you’ve been feeling moody lately. Well, you did feel left out earlier today when no one took the time to pull you into the meeting discussion at the office and that was irritating. Your daughter got up and abruptly left the house after becoming frustrated when you kept asking her to turn the volume on the TV up. Why would she do that?
Did you ever stop to think that perhaps you could be battling with hearing loss?
As you age hearing loss can take you by surprise and over 40 million individuals in the US suffer with it. And, the issue doesn’t end at your ears, either. Even mild hearing loss puts you at risk of depression, memory loss, and even dementia, according to some research. You might have a manageable medical condition causing your hearing loss but you think it’s simply a sign of aging. Perhaps, you missed essential conversational cues and your coworkers didn’t actually exclude you from the meeting after all. The truth is, if you can’t hear very well during your day-to-day life, it can become incredibly frustrating.
Discover more about hearing loss
A good place to start is learning more about what you’re coping with. For many individuals, hearing loss is a natural side effect of getting older. 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 cleaning 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 deteriorate the delicate mechanisms that help you hear.
Long-term diseases that become more prevalent as we age are a potential factor as well. High blood pressure, for example, or diabetes can both interfere with blood flow, which can cause harm to the inner ear.
Recognize the signs
People typically don’t detect when their hearing begins to go because hearing is often taken for granted:
- You regularly say “what” and often need people to repeat themselves
- You always feel like you are being excluded from the conversations
- When there is background noise, like an AC or fan running, you have a hard time hearing words
If you detect any of these hearing loss indicators, it’s no wonder you’re grumpy! Depression and social solitude can be the result of feeling detached from your world.
Make a plan to manage hearing loss
One of the very first things you can do is ask family and friends if they have noticed you having a hard time hearing. It might seem like a difficult conversation but it’s a really important one. If the answer is ‘yes’ then scheduling a hearing examination should be your next step and will simplify things for you. Ask your loved one to go along with you to your appointment. It can be helpful to have a calm and supportive friend with you.
Your hearing test will not only help to verify your hearing loss but it will also gauge the extent of it. Depending on the results of your exam, we will be able to decide on your best course of action going forward. In most cases, that will involve getting hearing aids. Don’t worry, there are so many options and features that you’re certain to get hearing aids that are perfect for your lifestyle!
Deciding on quality hearing aids
Everybody’s hearing loss is unique and we will help you discover what treatment will be best for yours. Take some to time determine the correct brand and model for your needs, this may require testing a few styles and models. Hearing aids don’t simply amplify sound nowadays. They can block out background sounds, connect to smartphones and computers, and even pinpoint the direction that sound is coming from. Do some research to determine which brands and models have the features that will best fit your lifestyle and needs.
Think about the style you want for your hearing aids, too. They come in various snazzy colors or with no color at all, so they’re practically invisible.
Schedule a hearing exam with our qualified hearing specialists today if you think you could be experiencing hearing loss. It’s time to get out of that cranky mindset and we can help!
References
https://www.ncoa.org/adviser/hearing-aids/hearing-loss-america/