You know you’re feeling moody these days but you’re not quite certainly why. Well, you did feel excluded earlier today when no one bothered to pull you into the meeting discussion at the office and that was aggravating. 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 suddenly leaving the house. Why would she do that?

Did you ever stop to think that perhaps you could be battling with hearing loss?

As you age hearing loss can take you by surprise and over 40 million people in the US suffer with it. And the issue goes beyond only your ears. Even minor hearing loss puts you at risk of depression, memory problems, and even dementia, according to some research. You might have a manageable medical condition causing your hearing loss but you think it’s simply 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 extremely aggravating when you can’t hear during your day-to-day life.

Get the facts about hearing loss

Finding out a little bit more about what you’re struggling with is a practical place to begin. Hearing loss does happen to many people as a result of the aging process. But for others, it may 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 heavy traffic, to mowing lawns and cleaning up leaves with that noisy leaf blower could contribute to a loss of hearing. The fragile mechanisms in your ear can be damaged by lots of noises in the world.

Another potential cause of hearing loss is chronic disease that becomes more common with age. High blood pressure, for example, or diabetes can both affect blood flow, which can cause damage to the inner ear.

Recognize the signs

People typically don’t detect when their hearing starts to go because hearing is often taken for granted:

• When there’s background sound, like an AC or fan running, you have a hard time hearing words
• You regularly feel like you are being excluded from the conversations
• You frequently say “what” and often need people to repeat what they said

Obviously, you’d be grumpy if you’ve been struggling with any of these signs! Depression and social isolation can be the consequence of feeling separated from your world.

Make a plan to manage hearing loss

One of the first things you can do is ask friends and family members if they have observed you having a difficult time hearing. It’s an important discussion even if it’s a challenging one. If if they answer ‘yes’ then scheduling a hearing test should be your next move and will simplify things for you. Try to get a family member to accompany you to your appointment. It can be helpful to have a calm and supportive person with you.

Your hearing exam will both gauge whether you’re experiencing hearing loss and how extensive it has become. Depending on the results of your test, we will be able to determine your best course of action going forward. In the majority of cases, that will entail getting hearing aids. Don’t stress, there are so many options and features that you’re certain to find hearing aids that fit your lifestyle!

How to pick quality hearing aids

We’ll have suggestions that will be best suited for your distinct type of hearing loss. You will most likely need to try a few brands and models before you find the best fit for your specific taste and hearing needs. Hearing aids don’t simply amplify sound these days. They can determine the direction that sound is originating from, block out background sound, and even connect to smartphones and computers. Do some research to determine which brands and models have the features that will best fit your lifestyle and requirements.

Think about the style you want for your hearing aids, too. Some models have no color and are almost invisible and other models come in vibrant colors.

If you think you’re experiencing hearing loss, schedule an appointment with our qualified hearing specialists today. 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/