You know you’re feeling cranky these days but you’re not quite certainly why. Well, it was frustrating 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 the tv volume up over and over again leading to her abruptly leaving the house. What’s the story with that?
Perhaps the real issue is hearing loss!
Hearing loss is a problem for about 40 million people in the US and can sneak up on you with age. And the issue goes beyond only your ears. Research indicates that even mild hearing loss puts you at risk for memory issues, cognitive decline, and even depression. You could have a treatable medical condition causing your hearing loss but you think it’s merely a sign of aging. Perhaps, your co-workers didn’t exclude you from the conversation after all, perhaps you missed critical conversational queues because you couldn’t hear them. Honestly, it can be exceedingly frustrating when you can’t hear during your daily life.
Learn more about hearing loss
A good place to start is finding out more about what you’re coping with. Hearing loss does happen to many people as a result of the aging process. But years of exposure to overly loud sound can also be the cause for others. Noise-related 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 heavy traffic with the window down. The world is full of potentially ear-damaging sound that can deteriorate the delicate mechanisms that help you hear.
Chronic diseases that become more prevalent with age are a potential factor as well. When you have conditions that cause issues with your blood pressure, your inner ear can become damaged.
Recognize the signs
People generally don’t detect when their hearing starts to go because hearing is frequently taken for granted:
- You always feel like you are being left out of the conversations
- You regularly say “what” and often need people to repeat themselves
- When there’s background noise, like an AC or fan running, you have a hard time hearing words
If you detect any of these hearing loss symptoms, it’s no wonder you’re grumpy! Feeling separated from your world can trigger depression and even social solitude.
Develop a plan to manage hearing loss
Start 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 might seem like a challenging conversation but it’s a really important one. If the answer is ‘yes’ then scheduling a hearing examination should be your next move and will clarify things for you. Ask your loved one to go along with you to your appointment. A supportive, calming friend can be extremely helpful.
Your hearing test will not only help to verify your hearing loss but it will also gauge the degree of it. If hearing loss is identified, 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 choices and features that you’re certain to get hearing aids that are perfect for your lifestyle!
How to choose quality hearing aids
We’ll have suggestions that will be best suited for your individual type of hearing loss. Take some to time choose the right brand and model for your needs, this may require testing a few styles and models. Today’s hearing aids do so much more than simply amplify sound. They can block out background noises, connect to smartphones and computers, and even pinpoint the direction of a sound. Do some research to determine which brands and models provide the features that will best fit your lifestyle and requirements.
And, 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 believe 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/