Many people put off treating their hearing loss because they wrongly assume hearing loss as inconsequential, that they need to have profoundly noticeable hearing loss before justifying treatment or that hearing loss is only affecting them alone.
Untreated hearing loss can lead to embarrassment, social stress, anxiety and fatigue. This is true for not only the person with hearing loss but for family members, friends, and coworkers. As many Audiologists will share, when one person in the family has untreated hearing loss, the whole family experiences hearing loss!
Research now directly links untreated hearing loss with cognitive decline, dementia and a history of falling, even when based on a mild hearing loss! This means that a mild hearing loss is actually the perfect time to be proactive. Even patients with near normal hearing can benefit from a brighter and crisper world of sound. Your ears work together with your brain, which means treating your hearing as soon as you notice any amount of hearing loss is imperative for continued auditory and cognitive stimulation.
The signs of hearing loss typically emerge slowly making it easier to ignore or go unnoticed. The Better Hearing Institute shares the following signs of hearing loss.
YOU MIGHT HAVE HEARING LOSS IF YOU…
Socially:
- Require frequent repetition
- Think other people sound like they’re mumbling
- Have difficulty hearing women’s and children’s voices
- Hear ringing or other sounds in your ears
- Turn your TV or radio up to a high volume
- Have difficulty hearing in noisy situations like restaurants
- Answer or respond inappropriately in conversations
- Find it challenging to follow conversations with multiple people
- Read lips or intently watch people’s faces when they speak
Emotionally:
- Feel stressed or fatigued from straining to follow conversations
- Feel embarrassed from misunderstanding what others are saying
- Feel nervous about trying to hear and understand
- Feel annoyed at other people because you can’t hear or understand
- Withdraw from social situations because of difficulty hearing
Medically:
- Have a family history of hearing loss
- Take medications that can harm the auditory system (ototoxic drugs)
- Have experienced a single exposure explosive noise
- Have been exposed to louds sounds over a long period of time (farming, factory work, machinery, hunting, and military work, to name a few)
If you notice any signs of hearing loss for yourself or a loved one, schedule a hearing test to receive a baseline. Most patients confess to not having a hearing test since elementary school! You will be surprised with the ease and comfort of your appointment at Heartland Hearing Center as we provide honest education, and your first visit is complimentary!