You’re not really sure why, but you’ve been feeling cranky lately. Well, you did feel excluded earlier this morning when no one bothered to bring you into the meeting discussion at the office and that was aggravating. Last night your daughter seemed annoyed with you when you asked her to turn the tv volume up over and over again resulting in her abruptly leaving the house. What’s the deal with that?
Maybe the real problem is hearing loss!
As you age hearing loss can take you by surprise and over 40 million people in the US suffer with it. And the issue goes beyond only your ears. Even minor hearing loss puts you at risk of depression, memory problems, and even cognitive decline, according to some research. You could have a manageable medical condition causing your hearing loss but you think it’s just an indication of aging. Perhaps, your co-workers didn’t exclude you from the conversation after all, maybe you missed critical conversational queues because you didn’t hear them. Honestly, it can be very frustrating when you can’t hear during your day-to-day life.
Get the facts about hearing loss
Learning a little more about what you’re coping with is a useful place to begin. For many individuals, hearing loss is a normal side effect of growing 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 hearing loss. The delicate mechanisms in your ear can be harmed by lots of sounds in the world.
Chronic diseases that become more prevalent as one grows older are a possible factor as well. When you have disorders that cause issues with your blood pressure, your inner ear can become damaged.
Recognize the signs
People often take their hearing for granted, so when it starts to fail they don’t notice the signs:
- You always feel like you are being excluded from the conversations
- You frequently say “what” and often need people to repeat what they said
- When there’s background noise, like an AC or fan running, you struggle to hear words
Naturally, you’d be grumpy if you’ve been coping with any of these symptoms! Depression and social isolation can be the outcome of feeling separated from your world.
Create a plan to treat 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 talk but it’s a very important one. If if they answer ‘yes’ then scheduling a hearing examination should be your next step and will clarify things for you. Try to get a family member to accompany 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 establish your hearing loss but it will also gauge the degree of it. If hearing loss is identified, we will advise the next strategy for you depending on the results of the exam. Normally, hearing aids will be a major part of the treatment plan. Don’t stress, there are so many options and features that you’re certain to get hearing aids that fit your lifestyle!
How to choose quality hearing aids
We’ll have recommendations that will be best suited for your distinct type of hearing loss. You will probably need to evaluate a few brands and models before you discover the best fit for your specific taste and hearing requirements. Today’s hearing aids do a lot more than just amplify sound. 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 determine which brands and models come with the features that will best fit your lifestyle and needs.
Also, don’t forget to think about styles. They come in lots of fashionable colors or with no color at all, so they’re virtually invisible.
If you think you’re dealing with hearing loss, make an appointment with our qualified hearing specialists today. 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/
