You know you’re feeling moody these days but you’re not really sure why. Well, you did feel excluded earlier today when no one took the time to pull you into the meeting discussion at the office and that was irritating. Your daughter got up and abruptly left the house after becoming annoyed when you kept asking her to turn the volume on the TV up. Why would she do that?
Did you ever stop to think that perhaps you could be battling with hearing loss?
Hearing loss is an issue for about 40 million individuals in the US and can sneak up on you with age. And, the problem doesn’t end at your ears, either. Research reveals that even minor hearing loss puts you at risk for memory issues, dementia, and even depression. You might have a manageable medical condition causing your hearing loss but you think it’s merely an indication of aging. Perhaps, your co-workers didn’t leave you out of the conversation after all, maybe you missed critical conversational queues because you couldn’t hear them. The fact is, if you can’t hear very well during your day-to-day life, it can become incredibly frustrating.
Get the facts about hearing loss
Learning a little bit more about what you’re dealing with is a useful place to start. For many individuals, hearing loss is a normal side effect of getting older. But for other people, it might be due to 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 loud leaf blower could contribute to a loss of hearing. The world is full of potentially ear-damaging sound that can erode the delicate mechanisms that help you hear.
Long-term diseases that become more prevalent as one grows older are a possible factor as well. High blood pressure, for instance, or diabetes can both interfere with blood flow, which causes harm to the inner ear.
Recognize the signs
People generally don’t detect when their hearing starts to go because hearing is often taken for granted:
- When there is background sound, like an AC or fan running, you have a hard time hearing words
- You regularly say “what” and often need people to repeat what they said
- When people are conversing, you continually feel excluded
If you recognize any of these hearing loss signs, it’s no wonder you’re grumpy! Feeling isolated from your world can trigger depression and even social isolation.
Managing hearing loss
One of the very first things you can do is ask friends and family members if they have observed you having a difficult time hearing. It may seem like a difficult conversation but it’s a really worthwhile 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 go along with you to your appointment. It can be helpful to have a calm and supportive presence with you.
Your hearing test will not only help to confirm your hearing loss but it will also gauge the extent of it. If hearing loss is identified, we will advise the next strategy for you based on the results of the test. Usually, hearing aids will be a principal part of the treatment plan. You’ll definitely be able to get a pair of hearing aids that will best fit your lifestyle since there are so many styles and options to pick from.
How to choose quality hearing aids
We’ll have recommendations that will be best suited for your unique type of hearing loss. Take some to time find the right brand and model for your needs, this may require testing a few styles and models. Today’s hearing aids do so much more than simply amplify sound. They can block out background noises, link to smartphones and computers, and even determine the direction of a sound. Do some research to find out which brands and models provide the features that will best fit your lifestyle and requirements.
Think about the style you want for your hearing aids, also. They come in lots of fashionable colors or with no color at all, so they’re virtually invisible.
If you think you’re dealing with hearing loss, make an appointment with our qualified hearing specialists right away. 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/