You’re not really sure why, but you’ve been feeling moody lately. 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. The other night your daughter seemed annoyed with you when you asked her to turn the tv volume up over and over again resulting in her suddenly leaving the house. Why would she do that?
Perhaps the real issue is hearing loss!
As you get older hearing loss can sneak up on you and over 40 million individuals 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 loss, and even dementia, according to some research. You might have a treatable medical condition causing your hearing loss but you think it’s merely a sign of aging. Maybe, your co-workers didn’t exclude you from the conversation after all, perhaps you missed critical conversational queues because you didn’t hear them. Honestly, it can be exceedingly frustrating when you can’t hear during your day-to-day life.
Get the facts about hearing loss
Finding out a little more about what you’re dealing with is a useful place to begin. For many people, hearing loss is a natural side effect of getting older. But years of exposure to excessively loud noise can also be the cause for others. Everything from the music you listened to when you were a teenager, to driving with the window down in traffic, to mowing lawns and picking up leaves with that loud leaf blower could contribute to a loss of hearing. The fragile mechanisms in your ear can be harmed by lots of sounds in the world.
Chronic diseases that become more common 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 normally take their hearing for granted, so when it starts to fail they don’t detect the signs:
- You’re always asking people to repeat what they said or even worse, saying ‘what’ a lot
- When people are conversing, you always feel left out
- When there’s background noise, like an AC or fan running, you struggle to hear words
If you recognize any of these hearing loss indicators, it’s no wonder you’re grumpy! Depression and social solitude can be the outcome of feeling separated from your world.
Treating hearing loss
One of the first things you can do is ask friends and family members if they have noticed you having a difficult time hearing. It might seem like a difficult conversation but it’s a really important one. If the answer is ‘yes’ then scheduling a hearing test should be your next step and will clarify things for you. Try to get a family member to go along with you to your exam. It can be helpful to have a calm and supportive presence 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 determined, we will advise the next strategy for you based on the results of the test. Normally, hearing aids will be a major part of the treatment plan. Don’t worry, there are so many options and features that you’re sure to get hearing aids that are perfect for your lifestyle!
Deciding on quality hearing aids
We’ll have recommendations 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 find the best fit for your specific taste and hearing requirements. Today’s hearing aids do lots more than just amplify sound. They can block out background noises, link to smartphones and computers, and even determine the direction of a sound. Different brands and types of hearing aids include different features, so research them to determine what features you require to improve your life.
Consider the style you want for your hearing aids, also. Some models have no color and are nearly invisible and other models come in vibrant colors.
If you think you’re suffering from hearing loss, schedule an appointment with our qualified hearing specialists today. Don’t you think it’s time to take action and end your grumpy state of mind?
References
https://www.ncoa.org/adviser/hearing-aids/hearing-loss-america/