Listen up, everyone. Hearing loss is quite common, today affecting more than one out of every three people in America. The good news is, if you suspect you have, or are beginning to experience hearing loss, there are plenty of solutions that have the power to vastly improve your daily interactions and social life.
Here are a few informal questions to ask yourself about hearing loss signs. Keep in mind that this is no substitute for a professional evaluation by a hearing specialist.
- Do you find yourself sometimes straining to hear and comprehend what others are saying to you during conversation, especially when there is additional background noise?
- Does your spouse or close friend gently joke to “get a hearing aid!?” And has the frequency of that suggestion cause you embarrassment and frustration?
- Do you perceive that people you don’t know well seem to be mumbling, making it difficult to follow a conversation?
- Do you find yourself avoiding gatherings in large and noisy places due to distracting background noise or “humming” sounds?
If you have answered yes to any of these scenarios, then your primary physician will suggest that you seek a professional hearing test and evaluation of other medical factors that may contribute to your diagnosis. Medications, heredity and chronic exposure to loud occupational noise for example, should be discussed to evaluate your hearing loss symptoms and the kinds of hearing aids appropriate for your lifestyle.
You can search the internet or ask your physician for a reference to a reputable hearing specialist or hearing center near you. Once they have made the proper diagnosis, they will discuss hearing aid brands such as an Oticon hearing aid or the Signia brand.
If you already use hearing aids, you should periodically request hearing aid repair service, and determine whether it is time for upgrading to a more modern, technologically advanced hearing aid now on the market.
Mild to moderate hearing loss is not only very common, usually beginning before age 65, but most newer hearing aid brands feature superior performance, while being remarkably discreet to wear.
Remember those fascinating and cumbersome looking hearing aids your brave Uncle Walter used to wear at family reunions? He’d probably wish he had one of the understated hearing aids available now. They no longer draw attention or emit high pitched and distracting noises like those from a previous generation.
Remember to consult with your primary care physician regarding your medical history, so that you can provide your hearing doctor with a comprehensive list of factors to consider with your hearing loss diagnosis and subsequent treatment plan. You should get a regular hearing test AND inform the hearing center of any significant changes in your health history that may affect your hearing aid repair service or choice of a new hearing aid.
So get back to the wedding reception, the reunion or the borough council meeting with confidence. Your hearing loss does not have to isolate you or cause you distress any longer. And your family will once again want to be in the same room with you to watch Jeopardy!
