You’re not really sure why, but you’ve been feeling cranky lately. Well, you did feel left out earlier today when no one took the time to pull you into the meeting discussion at the office and that was annoying. 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 suddenly leaving the house. What’s the story with 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 mild hearing loss puts you at risk of depression, memory problems, and even dementia, according to some research. You could have a manageable medical condition causing your hearing loss but you think it’s simply an indication of aging. Maybe, your co-workers didn’t exclude you from the conversation after all, maybe you missed critical conversational queues because you didn’t hear them. The truth is, if you can’t hear properly during your everyday life, it can become incredibly frustrating.
Get the facts about hearing loss
A good place to begin is learning more about what you’re dealing with. Hearing loss does happen to lots of individuals as a result of the aging process. But years of exposure to excessively loud sound can also be the cause for others. Noise-related hearing loss can be caused by lots of noise sources, such as 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 fragile mechanisms that help you hear.
Long-term diseases that become more common as one grows older are a potential factor as well. When you have conditions that cause issues with your blood pressure, your inner ear can become damaged.
Recognize the signs
People typically don’t detect when their hearing starts to go because hearing is often taken for granted:
- You frequently say “what” and often need people to repeat themselves
- When individuals are conversing, you always feel excluded
- Finding it difficult to understand words when there is background noise like a fan or the AC
If you recognize any of these hearing loss signs, it’s no wonder you’re cranky! Depression and social isolation can be the outcome of feeling separated from your world.
Create a plan to manage hearing loss
Begin by asking a family member or a loved one if they have seen you struggling 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 the answer is ‘yes’ then scheduling a hearing examination should be your next step and will simplify things for you. Ask your loved one to accompany you to your appointment. It can be helpful to have a calm and supportive friend with you.
Your hearing examination will not only help to confirm your hearing loss but it will also gauge the degree of it. If hearing loss is established, we will advise the next strategy for you depending on the results of the test. In most cases, that will involve getting hearing aids. Don’t stress, there are so many choices and features that you’re sure to get hearing aids that are perfect for your lifestyle!
Deciding on quality hearing aids
Everybody’s hearing loss is unique and we will help you determine what treatment will be best for yours. Take some to time choose the correct brand and model for your needs, this might require testing several styles and models. Today’s hearing aids do a lot more than simply amplify sound. They can block out background sounds, connect to smartphones and computers, and even pinpoint the direction of a sound. Do some research to determine which brands and models provide the features that will best fit your lifestyle and needs.
And, don’t forget to consider styles. Some models have no color and are almost invisible and other models come in dazzling colors.
Schedule a hearing assessment with our qualified hearing specialists today if you suspect you might be experiencing hearing loss. 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/
