You aren’t quite certain why, but you’ve been feeling moody lately. Well, you did feel left out earlier today when no one bothered to pull you into the meeting discussion at the office and that was annoying. Your daughter got up and abruptly left the house after becoming frustrated when you kept asking her to turn the volume on the TV up. What’s the story with that?
Maybe the real problem is 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 only your ears. Even mild hearing loss puts you at risk of depression, memory problems, and even dementia, according to some research. What you might believe is just a sign of age, could actually be a treatable medical condition. Perhaps, you missed essential conversational cues and your coworkers didn’t actually exclude you from the meeting after all. The truth is, if you can’t hear properly during your day-to-day life, it can become extremely frustrating.
Get the facts about hearing loss
Learning a little bit more about what you’re struggling with is a useful place to start. Hearing loss does happen to many individuals as a result of the aging process. But years of exposure to excessively loud sound can also be the cause for others. 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 erode the delicate mechanisms that help you hear.
Chronic diseases that become more prevalent with age are a potential factor as well. When you have conditions 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 detect the signs:
- You’re always asking people to repeat themselves or even worse, saying ‘what’ a lot
- You always feel like you are being excluded from the conversations
- When there is background noise, like an AC or fan running, you have a hard time hearing words
Obviously, you’d be grumpy if you’ve been struggling with any of these symptoms! Feeling separated from your world can cause depression and even social solitude.
Create a plan to manage hearing loss
One of the first things you can do is ask family and friends if they have seen you having a hard time hearing. It’s an important discussion even if it’s a challenging one. If the answer is ‘yes’ then scheduling a hearing assessment should be your next step and will clarify things for you. Ask your loved one to go along with you to your appointment. A supportive, calming presence can be extremely helpful.
Your hearing test 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 specify your best course of action going forward. Usually, hearing aids will be a major part of the treatment plan. Don’t stress, there are so many options and features that you’re sure to get hearing aids that fit your lifestyle!
Deciding on quality hearing aids
Everybody’s hearing loss is different and we will help you figure out what treatment will be best for yours. Take some to time determine the correct brand and model for your needs, this may require testing a few styles and models. Today’s hearing aids do so much more than just amplify sound. They can determine the direction that sound is originating from, block out background sound, and even link to smartphones and computers. Different brands and types of hearing aids offer different features, so do some research to determine what features you need to better your life.
Think about the style you want for your hearing aids, as well. They come in lots of fashionable colors or with no color at all, so they are virtually invisible.
Schedule a hearing test with our qualified hearing specialists today if you suspect you may be suffering with hearing loss. Don’t you think it’s time to find out 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/