You know you’re feeling cranky these days but you’re not quite certainly why. Well, it was irritating earlier this morning when you felt left out of the meeting at work. Your daughter got up and suddenly left the house after becoming frustrated when you kept asking her to turn the volume on the TV up. Why would she do that?
Perhaps the real problem is hearing loss!
As you age hearing loss can sneak up on you and over 40 million people in the US suffer with it. And the problem goes beyond just your ears. Even slight hearing loss puts you at risk of depression, memory loss, and even cognitive decline, according to some research. What you might think is just a sign of age, may actually be a treatable medical problem. Perhaps, you missed essential conversational cues and your coworkers didn’t actually leave you out of the meeting after all. The fact is, if you can’t hear very well during your everyday life, it can become incredibly frustrating.
Discover more about hearing loss
A good place to begin is learning more about what you’re coping with. Hearing loss does happen to many people as a result of the aging process. But years of exposure to overly loud sound 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 cleaning up leaves with that loud leaf blower could contribute to a loss of hearing. The delicate mechanisms in your ear can be damaged by lots of sounds in the world.
Chronic diseases that become more prevalent with age are a potential factor as well. High blood pressure, for instance, or diabetes can both hinder blood flow, which causes harm to the inner ear.
Recognize the signs
People normally take their hearing for granted, so when it starts to fail they don’t recognize the signs:
- You regularly feel like you are being excluded from the discussions
- You regularly say “what” and often need people to repeat themselves
- When there is background noise, like an AC or fan running, you struggle to hear words
If you detect any of these hearing loss indicators, it’s no wonder you’re grumpy! Depression and social solitude can be the outcome of feeling separated from your world.
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 often. It’s an important conversation even if it’s a challenging one. A hearing examination should be next on your list, particularly if people have observed you having a hard time hearing. Ask your loved one to go along with you to your appointment. A supportive, calming friend can be really helpful.
Your hearing test will not only help to verify 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 course of action moving forward. Normally, hearing aids will be a principal 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.
How to select 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 could require testing a few styles and models. Hearing aids don’t simply amplify sound these days. They can determine the direction that sound is coming from, block out background sound, and even link to smartphones and computers. Do some research to find out which brands and models come with the features that will best fit your lifestyle and requirements.
Consider the style you want for your hearing aids, too. Some models have no color and are virtually invisible and other models come in vibrant colors.
If you think you’re suffering from hearing loss, make an appointment with our qualified hearing specialists today. It’s time to get out of that cranky mindset and we can help!
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References
https://www.ncoa.org/adviser/hearing-aids/hearing-loss-america/