You know you’re feeling cranky these days but you’re not really sure why. Well, it was aggravating earlier today when you felt left out of the meeting at the office. The other night your daughter seemed irritated with you when you asked her to turn the tv volume up over and over again leading to her abruptly leaving the house. What’s the deal with that?
Did you ever stop to think that perhaps you could be battling with hearing loss?
As you age hearing loss can sneak up on you and over 40 million people in the US suffer with it. And the issue goes beyond just your ears. Research indicates that even slight hearing loss puts you at risk for memory problems, cognitive decline, and even depression. What you might think is merely a sign of age, may actually be a treatable medical problem. Maybe, your co-workers didn’t leave you out of the conversation after all, maybe you missed critical conversational queues because you didn’t hear them. Honestly, it can be extremely aggravating when you can’t hear during your daily life.
Get the facts about hearing loss
A good place to start is finding out more about what you’re dealing with. For many people, hearing loss is a normal side effect of getting older. But for others, it might be caused by years of noise overexposure. 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 hearing loss. The delicate mechanisms in your ear can be damaged by lots of sounds in the world.
Chronic diseases that become more common with age are a possible factor as well. When you have conditions that cause problems with your blood pressure, your inner ear can become damaged.
Recognize the signs
People usually don’t detect when their hearing begins to go because hearing is frequently taken for granted:
- Struggling to comprehend words when there is background noise like a fan or the AC
- You’re always asking people to repeat themselves or even worse, saying ‘what’ all of the time
- You regularly feel like you are being left out of the discussions
If you recognize any of these hearing loss symptoms, it’s no wonder you’re cranky! Feeling detached from your world can trigger depression and even social solitude.
Treating hearing loss
One of the initial things you can do is ask friends and family members if they have observed you having a hard time hearing. It may seem like a difficult talk but it’s a very important one. If if they answer ‘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 exam. A supportive, calming presence can be most helpful.
Your hearing exam will both gauge whether you’re experiencing hearing loss and how significant it has become. If hearing loss is determined, we will advise the next course of action for you depending on the results of the test. In most instances, that will entail getting hearing aids. You’ll definitely be able to get a set of hearing aids that will best fit your situation 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 individual type of hearing loss. You will probably need to evaluate a few brands and models before you determine the best fit for your particular taste and hearing requirements. Today’s hearing aids do so much more than simply amplify sound. They can identify the direction that sound is coming from, block out background sound, and even link to smartphones and computers. Do some research to determine which brands and models provide the features that will best fit your lifestyle and requirements.
Consider the style you want for your hearing aids, as well. They come in various fashionable colors or with no color at all, so they are virtually invisible.
If you think you’re dealing with hearing loss, schedule an appointment with our qualified hearing specialists right away. It’s time to get out of that cranky mindset and we can help!
Call Today to Set Up an Appointment
References
https://www.ncoa.org/adviser/hearing-aids/hearing-loss-america/