You know you’re feeling cranky these days but you’re not really certainly why. Well, you did feel left out earlier this morning when no one bothered to bring you into the meeting discussion at the office and that was aggravating. The other night your daughter seemed frustrated with you when you asked her to turn the tv volume up over and over again resulting in her suddenly leaving the house. Why would she do that?
Perhaps the real issue is hearing loss!
Hearing loss is a problem for about 40 million individuals in the US and can sneak up on you with age. And the issue goes beyond just your ears. Even mild hearing loss puts you at risk of depression, memory loss, and even dementia, according to some research. What you may presume is just a sign of age, may actually be a treatable medical condition. Perhaps, you missed significant conversational cues and your coworkers didn’t actually leave you out of the meeting after all. Honestly, it can be very aggravating when you can’t hear during your day-to-day life.
Discover more about hearing loss
A good place to start is learning more about what you’re dealing with. Hearing loss does happen to many individuals due to the aging process. But years of exposure to overly loud noise can also be the cause for others. Noise-induced hearing loss can be a result of lots of noise sources, such as mowing the lawn and leaf blowing, listening to loud music, and driving in loud traffic with the window down. The fragile mechanisms in your ear can be damaged by lots of noises in the world.
Another possible source of hearing loss is chronic disease that becomes more common as we grow older. High blood pressure, for instance, or diabetes can both affect blood flow, which can cause harm to the inner ear.
Recognize the signs
People often take their hearing for granted, so when it begins to fail they don’t detect the signs:
- You always feel like you are being left out of the conversations
- When there is background sound, like an AC or fan running, you struggle to hear words
- You regularly say “what” and often need people to repeat themselves
Obviously, you’d be grumpy if you’ve been coping with any of these symptoms! Depression and social isolation can be the consequence 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 keep up with conversations or if you say “What?” a little too often. It’s an important discussion even if it’s a challenging one. If the answer is ‘yes’ then scheduling a hearing test should be your next step and will clarify things for you. Try to get a family member to accompany you to your appointment. A supportive, calming presence can be really helpful.
Your hearing test will not only help to confirm your hearing loss but it will also gauge the extent of it. If hearing loss is established, we will recommend the next course of action for you based on the results of the test. Usually, hearing aids will be a principal part of the treatment plan. You’ll definitely be able to get a pair of hearing aids that will best fit your lifestyle since there are so many styles and options to choose from.
How to select quality hearing aids
Everybody’s hearing loss is different and we will help you discover what treatment will be best for yours. You will probably need to test a few brands and models before you determine the best fit for your particular taste and hearing needs. Today’s hearing aids do lots more than just amplify sound. They can identify the direction that sound is originating from, block out background noise, and even link to smartphones and computers. Different brands and types of hearing aids have different features, so research them to determine what features you need to improve your life.
And, remember to consider styles. They come in various snazzy colors or with no color at all, so they’re nearly invisible.
Schedule a hearing exam with our qualified hearing specialists today if you think you could be suffering with hearing loss. 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/