You know you’re feeling moody these days but you’re not quite sure why. Well, it was irritating earlier today when you felt left out of the meeting at the office. Last night your daughter seemed irritated with you when you asked her to turn up the volume of the TV over and over again resulting in her abruptly leaving the house. What’s the deal with that?
Perhaps the real problem is hearing loss!
As you age hearing loss can take you by surprise and over 40 million individuals in the US suffer with it. And the problem goes beyond just your ears. Even slight hearing loss puts you at risk of depression, memory problems, and even cognitive decline, according to some research. What you might think is just a sign of age, could actually be a treatable medical problem. Maybe, you missed significant conversational cues and your coworkers didn’t actually leave you out of the meeting after all. Honestly, it can be exceedingly frustrating when you can’t hear during your daily life.
Learn more about hearing loss
Finding out a little more about what you’re coping with is a useful place to begin. For many individuals, hearing loss is a normal side effect of growing older. But for others, it may be caused by years of noise overexposure. Noise-induced 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 loud traffic with the window down. The world is full of potentially ear-damaging noise that can erode the fragile mechanisms that help you hear.
Another possible source of hearing loss is chronic disease that becomes more prevalent as we grow older. When you have conditions that cause problems with your blood pressure, your inner ear can become damaged.
Recognize the signs
People typically don’t recognize when their hearing begins to go because hearing is frequently taken for granted:
- You’re always asking people to repeat what they said or even worse, saying ‘what’ all of the time
- You regularly feel like you are being excluded from the conversations
- Struggling to comprehend words when there is background noise like a fan or the AC
If you notice any of these hearing loss signs, it’s no wonder you’re grumpy! Feeling detached from your world can trigger depression and even social solitude.
Develop a plan to treat hearing loss
Start by asking a family member or a loved one if they have noticed you working hard to keep up with conversations or if you say “What?” a little too often. It might seem like a challenging conversation but it’s a really worthwhile one. If the answer is ‘yes’ then scheduling a hearing test should be your next step and will simplify things for you. Try to get a loved one to accompany you to your appointment. A supportive, calming presence can be most helpful.
Your hearing exam 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 plan going forward. In the majority of cases, that will entail getting hearing aids. Don’t worry, there are so many options and features that you’re sure to get hearing aids that fit your lifestyle!
How to choose quality hearing aids
Everybody’s hearing loss is different and we will help you decide what treatment will be best for yours. You will most likely need to evaluate a number of brands and models before you determine the best fit for your particular taste and hearing requirements. Hearing aids don’t just amplify sound these days. 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 have different features, so do some research to determine what features you need to improve your life.
Also, remember to consider styles. They come in many fashionable colors or with no color at all, so they’re nearly invisible.
Schedule a hearing test with our qualified hearing specialists today if you think you may be suffering with hearing loss. Don’t you think it’s time to find out and end your cranky state of mind?
References
https://www.ncoa.org/adviser/hearing-aids/hearing-loss-america/
