You know you’re feeling moody 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 the office. The other night your daughter seemed annoyed with you when you asked her to turn up the volume of the TV over and over again leading to her suddenly leaving the house. Why would she do that?
Perhaps the real issue is hearing loss!
As you get older hearing loss can take you by surprise and over 40 million people in the US suffer with it. And, the problem doesn’t end at your ears, either. Even mild hearing loss puts you at risk of depression, memory problems, and even dementia, according to some research. You could have a treatable medical condition causing your hearing loss but you think it’s merely a sign of aging. Maybe, you missed significant conversational cues and your coworkers didn’t actually leave you out of the meeting after all. The truth is, if you can’t hear properly during your day-to-day life, it can become incredibly frustrating.
Learn more about hearing loss
Learning a little bit more about what you’re coping with is a useful place to start. For many people, hearing loss is a natural side effect of getting older. But for other people, it might be due to years of noise overexposure. Noise-induced hearing loss can be caused by lots of noise sources, including mowing the lawn and leaf blowing, listening to loud music, and driving in heavy traffic with the window down. The world is full of potentially ear-damaging sound that can deteriorate the delicate mechanisms that help you hear.
Another potential cause of hearing loss is chronic disease that becomes more prevalent as we age. When you have conditions that cause problems with your blood pressure, your inner ear can become damaged.
Recognize the signs
People generally don’t recognize when their hearing starts to go because hearing is often taken for granted:
- When people are having discussions, you always feel excluded
- You’re always asking people to repeat themselves or even worse, saying ‘what’ a lot
- When there is background sound, like an AC or fan running, you struggle to hear words
Naturally, you’d be cranky if you’ve been coping with any of these signs! Depression and social isolation can be the consequence of feeling detached from your world.
Create a plan to treat hearing loss
One of the initial things you can do is ask family and friends if they have noticed you having a hard time hearing. It’s a crucial conversation even if it’s a difficult one. If the answer is ‘yes’ then scheduling a hearing assessment should be your next move and will simplify things for you. Try to get a family member to go along with you to your exam. A supportive, calming presence can be really helpful.
Your hearing examination will not only help to verify your hearing loss but it will also gauge the extent of it. Depending on the results of your exam, we will be able to determine your best course of action moving forward. In most instances, that will involve getting hearing aids. You’ll certainly be able to get a set of hearing aids that will best fit your lifestyle since there are so many styles and options to pick from.
How to pick quality hearing aids
We’ll have suggestions that will be best suited for your distinct type of hearing loss. You will most likely need to try a number of brands and models before you determine the best fit for your specific taste and hearing needs. Today’s hearing aids do a lot more than just amplify sound. They can determine the direction that sound is originating from, block out background sound, and even connect 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, also. They come in various snazzy colors or with no color at all, so they’re nearly invisible.
Schedule a hearing test with our qualified hearing specialists today if you think you might be suffering with hearing loss. Don’t you think it’s time to take action and end your grumpy state of mind?
Call Today to Set Up an Appointment
References
https://www.ncoa.org/adviser/hearing-aids/hearing-loss-america/