People are becoming self-reliant more than ever before. Want to fix up your car? You can learn how to do that by watching a YouTube video. Is your sink clogged? Again with the YouTube. Want to learn how to do calligraphy? Yup…you guessed it…..YouTube.
Anything you want to know, you can find, and there’s amazing potential to teach and educate yourself on the Internet. So the real question is, are we finished needing professionals?
Not always. Hearing aids are a good example. Imagine if you detect some hearing loss and find yourself in need of these helpful little devices. Should you race out to Walmart and get a pair of over-the-counter hearing aids? Although this might make you feel like you’re being self-sufficient and sound like the convenient solution, there are some real downsides. In fact, visiting a hearing specialist for hearing aids can help make your hearing aids more reliable and more comfortable.
Hearing loss symptoms
The symptoms of hearing loss might seem clear-cut, even obvious. Things get harder to hear, right? While that may sometimes be the truth, in other situations the symptoms can be less evident. Indeed, individuals often miss the signs of hearing loss because they don’t know what to watch out for.
Here are some of the most common hearing loss symptoms:
- The continual need to turn the volume up: Is your television volume constantly going up? Well, there’s your first common symptom. This is one of the more obvious ones, but it tends to develop so slowly that it’s frequently missed.
- Fatigue and headaches: Typically, when you have hearing loss, your brain struggles to keep up. It’s like you’re continuously squinting with your ears as your brain works overtime attempting to process sound. This can result in chronic headaches and tiredness.
- Needing people to repeat what they said: You may often ask people to repeat themselves. This is an indication of hearing loss, even if it seems like the volume is the issue. If you start to come across a great many people who “mumble,” it might be your ears that are the issue.
- Difficulty hearing conversations in loud settings: Do you have a tough time keeping up with conversations when you go out to eat with friends or family? This is usually a pretty reliable sign that some degree of hearing loss could be occurring.
Of course, these symptoms are not always the only symptoms of hearing loss. Everyone’s hearing loss experience is unique. But if you are noticing any of these symptoms, it’s a good idea to visit us to get a diagnosis.
Why is a diagnosis useful?
So, you are realizing that you can’t hear as well as you once did. Why not simply go to the store and buy an over-the-counter hearing aid? Well, would you go out and purchase prescription glasses without having an eye exam? It may work in some cases. But understanding more about your condition is absolutely indispensable.
That’s because hearing loss is a complex condition. It’s not as though someone simply turns the volume knob in your ear. Instead, as stereocilia in your ear get damaged, you often lose your hearing in parts at a time, that is, you usually lose the ability to hear high-frequency or low-frequency sounds first.
And it frequently goes undetected. Compensating for these kinds of changes is something that the brain is quite good at. That’s why a hearing exam is typically required. This screening process can help you expose hearing loss you might not even recognize you have. This will also allow you to know which frequencies you’re beginning to lose (and because of this, you will be in a better position to manage symptoms.)
Advantages of working with a hearing specialist
Matching your hearing needs to the available selection on the shelf will be something you’ll have to do on your own if you go with over-the-counter hearing aids.
But your hearing aids can be fine-tuned to your particular hearing needs if you go to a hearing specialist. Your hearing specialist can help you select the best device for your symptoms and then tailor that device specifically for the wavelengths you need help with.
Here are some other advantages to seeing a hearing specialist:
- Your hearing specialist can help you set up the appropriate maintenance for your hearing aid, making sure that your devices last for as long as possible.
- Your hearing specialist will help you comprehend how to get the most out of your hearing aids if you’re having difficulty understanding how to best utilize them.
- Adjusting your hearing aid more successfully is also something your hearing specialist can also help you with. So that you can get the best experience from your hearing aid, this is essential.
- The ability to help you personalize the overall fit of your hearing aid, ensuring your devices are comfortable and effectively working.
Even if you get lucky enough to pick the best hearing aids for you, if don’t have the benefit of a hearing specialist, your hearing experience will most likely be less than ideal.
You will also be better able to manage your hearing loss symptoms with the help of a hearing specialist. With the correct approach, you’ll be a lot less likely to lose friends or become isolated from your family on account of your hearing loss symptoms. Those connections will be preserved. And that can be extremely important.
Not everything has to be DIY
Seeking help with your hearing aid doesn’t mean you are in some way less self-sufficient. Quite the opposite, actually. The correct hearing aid can improve your independence and self-sufficiency.
Diagnosing your hearing loss, controlling your symptoms, and choosing the right hearing aids are all things that your hearing specialist will help you do.
So contact us so that we can help you address your hearing loss.