Understanding Hearing Loss
Signs of Hearing Loss
Finding it difficult to hear or understand what others are saying and, often asking it to be repeated.
Getting mentally and physically exhausted after a day or work, or an outing with friends.
Having to turn the TV up louder than others to understand dialogue.
Trouble understanding people on the phone or from another room.
Having to concentrate hard to understand others in noisy environments.
Feeling like hearing is okay, but others are mumbling.
Hearing Loss Causes
Effects of Hearing Loss
Hearing changes very slowly for most individuals and the early signs often go unnoticed. Others may be able to gauge an individual's change of hearing better than the individual themselves.
It can be a surprisingly emotional experience to discover changes in hearing and can make people more reluctant to inform others of their condition, regardless of the social consequences. This reluctance may make a person feel lonely and isolated. The reality is, however, that hearing loss is a very common condition and an individual’s hearing loss experience can be improved immeasurably once others are aware of their condition.
It’s suggested to have a baseline hearing test after age 50, just as we recommend other routine tests at this age (vision tests, colonoscopies, mammograms, prostate exams, etc.) There is undeniable evidence that ignoring hearing loss affects communication skills, which can lead to a whole host of potential psychological and physical conditions in the long-term.
Treating Hearing Loss
The standard treatment for mild to severe hearing loss is the use of hearing aids. These come in multiple styles and sizes to offer improvement with many aspects of life: hearing on the phone, understanding others in social situations, and listening to TV and music at softer levels.