You know you’re feeling cranky these days but you’re not quite certainly why. Well, it was annoying earlier this morning when you felt left out of the meeting at the office. Your daughter got up and suddenly left the house after becoming irritated 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!
Hearing loss is an issue for roughly 40 million people in the US and can sneak up on you with age. And the problem goes beyond just your ears. Even minor hearing loss puts you at risk of depression, memory problems, and even cognitive decline, according to some research. What you might think is merely an indication of age, could actually be a treatable medical condition. Perhaps, your co-workers didn’t exclude you from the conversation after all, maybe you missed crucial conversational queues because you didn’t hear them. The truth is, if you can’t hear very well during your day-to-day life, it can become extremely frustrating.
Learn more about hearing loss
Finding out a little more about what you’re coping with is a useful place to start. For many individuals, hearing loss is a normal side effect of getting older. But years of exposure to excessively loud noise can also be the cause for others. Noise-related hearing loss can be a result of many noise sources, like mowing the lawn and leaf blowing, listening to loud music, and driving in loud traffic with the window down. The delicate mechanisms in your ear can be harmed by lots of sounds in the world.
Long-term diseases that become more common as one grows older are a possible factor as well. High blood pressure, for example, or diabetes can both hinder blood flow, which can cause damage to the inner ear.
Recognize the signs
People often take their hearing for granted, so when it begins to fail they don’t recognize the signs:
- Finding it difficult to understand words when there is background noise like a fan or the AC
- You’re always asking people to repeat what they said or even worse, saying ‘what’ all of the time
- You always feel like you are being excluded from the conversations
Naturally, you’d be grumpy if you’ve been coping with any of these symptoms! Depression and social isolation can be the consequence of feeling detached from your world.
Managing hearing loss
Start 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 frequently. It’s an important discussion even if it’s a difficult one. If if they answer ‘yes’ then scheduling a hearing examination should be your next step and will clarify 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 presence with you.
Your hearing exam will both gauge whether you’re dealing with hearing loss and how extensive it has become. Depending on the results of your test, we will be able to determine your best plan moving forward. Usually, 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 choose from.
How to select quality hearing aids
We’ll have suggestions that will be best suited for your unique type of hearing loss. You will most likely need to evaluate a number of brands and models before you find the best fit for your particular taste and hearing requirements. Today’s hearing aids do so much more than just amplify sound. They can block out background sounds, link to smartphones and computers, and even determine the direction of a sound. Do some research to find out which brands and models provide the features that will best fit your lifestyle and needs.
Consider the style you want for your hearing aids, as well. Some models have no color and are nearly invisible and other models come in dazzling colors.
If you think you’re suffering from hearing loss, make an appointment with our qualified hearing specialists today. Don’t you think it’s time to find out and end your grumpy state of mind?
References
https://www.ncoa.org/adviser/hearing-aids/hearing-loss-america/