You know you’re feeling cranky these days but you’re not exactly certainly why. Well, you did feel excluded earlier this morning when no one took the time to pull you into the meeting discussion at the office and that was aggravating. Last night your daughter seemed frustrated with you when you asked her to turn the tv volume up over and over again resulting in her suddenly leaving the house. What’s the story with that?

Maybe the real problem is hearing loss!

Hearing loss is an issue for around 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 minor hearing loss puts you at risk for memory problems, dementia, and even depression. You might have a treatable medical condition causing your hearing loss but you think it’s just an indication of aging. Maybe, your co-workers didn’t leave you out of the conversation after all, perhaps you missed crucial conversational queues because you couldn’t hear them. Honestly, it can be extremely aggravating when you can’t hear during your daily life.

Learn more about hearing loss

A good place to start is discovering more about what you’re coping with. For many people, hearing loss is a natural side effect of getting older. But for other people, it may be caused by years of noise overexposure. Everything from the music you listened to when you were 16, to driving with the window down in traffic, to mowing lawns and cleaning up leaves with that noisy leaf blower could contribute to hearing loss. The delicate mechanisms in your ear can be damaged by lots of sounds in the world.

Another possible cause of hearing loss is chronic disease that becomes more prevalent as we age. High blood pressure, for instance, or diabetes can both interfere with blood flow, which causes harm to the inner ear.

Recognize the signs

People normally take their hearing for granted, so when it starts to go they don’t recognize the signs:

• You’re always asking people to repeat themselves or even worse, saying ‘what’ a lot
• When there is background noise, like an AC or fan running, you have a hard time hearing words
• You always feel like you are being left out of the conversations

If you recognize any of these hearing loss symptoms, it’s no wonder you’re cranky! Feeling isolated from your world can cause depression and even social isolation.

Treating hearing loss

One of the initial things you can do is ask friends and family members if they have observed you having a difficult time hearing. It may seem like a difficult conversation but it’s a really important one. If the answer is ‘yes’ then scheduling a hearing test should be your next move and will clarify things for you. Try to get a family member to accompany you to your appointment. It can be helpful to have a calm and supportive friend with you.

Your hearing test will not only help to establish your hearing loss but it will also gauge the degree of it. If hearing loss is identified, we will recommend the next course of action for you depending on the results of the test. In most cases, that will entail getting hearing aids. You’ll certainly be able to get a set of hearing aids that will best fit your lifestyle since there are so many styles and options to pick from.

How to pick 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 correct brand and model for your needs, this may require testing several styles and models. Hearing aids don’t just amplify sound these days. They can block out background sounds, link to smartphones and computers, and even determine the direction of a sound. Different brands and kinds of hearing aids include different features, so research them to determine what features you require to better your life.

And, remember to think about styles. They come in various snazzy colors or with no color at all, so they’re virtually invisible.

Schedule a hearing test with our qualified hearing specialists right away if you believe you may be suffering with hearing loss. It’s time to get out of that cranky mindset and we can help!

Call Today to Set Up an Appointment

References
https://www.ncoa.org/adviser/hearing-aids/hearing-loss-america/