You know you’re feeling cranky these days but you’re not really sure why. Well, you did feel excluded earlier this morning when no one bothered to pull you into the meeting discussion at the office and that was irritating. 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 leading to her abruptly leaving the house. Why would she do that?
Did you ever stop to think that perhaps you could be suffering from 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 problem goes beyond only your ears. Research shows that even mild hearing loss puts you at risk for memory issues, dementia, and even depression. You could have a manageable medical condition causing your hearing loss but you think it’s just a sign 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. Honestly, it can be very aggravating when you can’t hear during your daily life.
Discover more about hearing loss
Learning a little 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 years of exposure to excessively loud sound can also be the cause for others. Everything from the music you listened to when you were 16, to driving with the window down in heavy traffic, to mowing lawns and cleaning up leaves with that loud leaf blower could contribute to hearing loss. The world is full of potentially ear-damaging noise that can erode the delicate mechanisms that help you hear.
Chronic diseases that become more prevalent as we age are a possible factor as well. High blood pressure, for instance, or diabetes can both affect blood flow, which causes damage to the inner ear.
Recognize the signs
People usually take their hearing for granted, so when it starts to go they don’t detect the signs:
- When people are conversing, you always feel excluded
- Finding it difficult to hear words when there’s background noise like a fan or the AC
- You’re always asking people to repeat themselves or even worse, saying ‘what’ a lot
If you recognize any of these hearing loss signs, it’s no wonder you’re grumpy! Feeling separated from your world can trigger depression and even social solitude.
Treating 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 frequently. It’s a crucial conversation even if it’s a difficult one. If the answer is ‘yes’ then scheduling a hearing assessment should be your next move 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 exam will both gauge whether you’re experiencing hearing loss and how extensive it has become. If hearing loss is determined, we will advise the next course of action for you based on the results of the exam. Typically, hearing aids will be a major part of the treatment plan. Don’t stress, there are so many choices and features that you’re sure to get hearing aids that are perfect for your lifestyle!
Picking out quality hearing aids
We’ll have suggestions that will be best suited for your individual type of hearing loss. Take some to time determine the right brand and model for your needs, this could require testing several styles and models. Today’s hearing aids do so much more than just amplify sound. They can block out background sounds, link to smartphones and computers, and even pinpoint the direction that sound is coming from. Do some research to find out which brands and models come with the features that will best fit your lifestyle and requirements.
Also, 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 right away if you suspect you could 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/