You know you’re feeling moody these days but you’re not exactly certainly why. Well, it was irritating earlier this morning when you felt left out of the meeting at the office. Your daughter got up and suddenly left the house after becoming irritated when you kept asking her to turn the TV volume up. Why would she do that?
Perhaps the real issue is 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 issue goes beyond only your ears. Even slight hearing loss puts you at risk of depression, memory loss, and even dementia, according to some research. What you might think is just an indication of age, may actually be a treatable medical condition. Maybe, you missed significant conversational cues and your coworkers didn’t actually leave you out of the meeting after all. Honestly, it can be very frustrating when you can’t hear during your daily life.
Discover more about hearing loss
A good place to start is learning more about what you’re coping with. Hearing loss does happen to many people due to 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 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 sound that can erode the fragile mechanisms that help you hear.
Long-term diseases that become more prevalent with age are a potential factor as well. High blood pressure, for example, or diabetes can both interfere with blood flow, which causes harm to the inner ear.
Recognize the signs
People generally don’t recognize when their hearing starts to go because hearing is often taken for granted:
- You’re always asking people to repeat what they said or even worse, saying ‘what’ all of the time
- When individuals are having discussions, you continually feel excluded
- When there’s background noise, like an AC or fan running, you have a hard time hearing words
If you recognize any of these hearing loss signs, it’s no wonder you’re cranky! Depression and social solitude can be the consequence of feeling detached from your world.
Treating hearing loss
Begin by asking a family member or a loved one if they have noticed you struggling to keep up with conversations or if you say “What?” a little too often. It may seem like a difficult talk but it’s a very worthwhile one. A hearing test should be the next thing that you do, particularly if people have observed you having a hard time hearing. Try to get a loved one to accompany you to your appointment. It can be helpful to have a calm and supportive person with you.
Your hearing test will both gauge whether you’re dealing with hearing loss and how significant it has become. If hearing loss is established, we will recommend the next strategy for you based on the results of the exam. Normally, hearing aids will be a major part of the treatment plan. You’ll certainly be able to get a pair of hearing aids that will best fit your situation since there are so many styles and options to choose from.
How to choose quality hearing aids
We’ll have recommendations that will be best suited for your distinct type of hearing loss. Take some to time choose the right brand and model for your needs, this could require testing a few styles and models. Today’s hearing aids do lots more than simply amplify sound. They can identify the direction that sound is coming from, block out background noise, and even link to smartphones and computers. Do some research to determine which brands and models provide the features that will best fit your lifestyle and needs.
Also, remember to think about styles. They come in many snazzy colors or with no color at all, so they’re virtually invisible.
Schedule a hearing assessment with our qualified hearing specialists today if you suspect you might be suffering with hearing loss. Don’t you think it’s time to find out and end your cranky state of mind?
Call Today to Set Up an Appointment
References
https://www.ncoa.org/adviser/hearing-aids/hearing-loss-america/