You’re not really certain why, but you’ve been feeling cranky lately. Well, it was aggravating earlier today when you felt left out of the meeting at work. The other night your daughter seemed frustrated with you when you asked her to turn up the volume of the TV over and over again resulting in her abruptly leaving the house. What’s the story with that?
Maybe the real problem is hearing loss!
As you get older 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. Research indicates that even minor hearing loss puts you at risk for memory issues, cognitive decline, and even depression. You could have a manageable medical condition causing your hearing loss but you think it’s merely an indication of aging. Perhaps, you missed essential conversational cues and your coworkers didn’t actually leave you out of the meeting after all. Honestly, it can be exceedingly frustrating when you can’t hear during your daily life.
Discover more about hearing loss
Learning a little bit more about what you’re struggling with is a useful place to begin. For many individuals, hearing loss is a natural side effect of growing older. But years of exposure to excessively loud noise can also be the cause for others. Everything from the music you listened to when you were a teenager, to driving with the window down in traffic, to mowing lawns and cleaning up leaves with that noisy leaf blower could contribute to a loss of hearing. The world is full of potentially ear-damaging sound that can deteriorate the fragile mechanisms that help you hear.
Chronic diseases that become more common as one grows older are a potential factor as well. When you have disorders that cause problems with your blood pressure, your inner ear can become damaged.
Recognize the signs
People often take their hearing for granted, so when it starts to fail they don’t notice the signs:
- You’re always asking people to repeat themselves or even worse, saying ‘what’ a lot
- Finding it difficult to comprehend words when there’s background noise like a fan or the AC
- When people are conversing, you always feel excluded
If you recognize any of these hearing loss signs, it’s no wonder you’re cranky! Feeling isolated from your world can lead to depression and even social solitude.
Managing hearing loss
Start by asking a family member or a loved one if they have seen you struggling to hear conversations or if you say “What?” a little too frequently. It may seem like a difficult conversation but it’s a very important one. If the answer is ‘yes’ then scheduling a hearing test should be your next move and will clarify things for you. Ask your loved one to accompany you to your appointment. A supportive, calming friend can be most 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 test, we will be able to specify your best plan moving forward. Typically, hearing aids will be a major part of the treatment plan. 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 choose from.
Picking out quality hearing aids
We’ll have suggestions that will be best suited for your distinct type of hearing loss. Take some to time find the correct brand and model for your needs, this might require testing a few styles and models. Today’s hearing aids do a lot more than just amplify sound. They can block out background noises, link to smartphones and computers, and even pinpoint the direction that sound is coming from. Different brands and kinds of hearing aids come with different features, so do some research to determine what features you need to better your life.
Also, remember to think about styles. They come in lots of fashionable colors or with no color at all, so they’re virtually invisible.
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 grumpy mindset and we can help!
Call Today to Set Up an Appointment
References
https://www.ncoa.org/adviser/hearing-aids/hearing-loss-america/
