With nearly 1 in 6 people living with some degree of impaired hearing, hearing loss is a common medical condition experienced today. If you’ve noticed changes to your hearing or you are experiencing communication challenges, it may be a great idea to have your hearing tested.
What are common signs of hearing loss?
Hearing loss reduces a person’s capacity to hear and process speech as well as sound. This produces a range of symptoms that strains communication. Early signs include the following:
- You experience difficulty following conversations. Especially in environments with background noise and in groups.
- Increasing the volume on the TV and other electronic devices.
- Have a challenging time having conversations on the phone.
- Frequently ask others to repeat what they say or to speak slower.
- Sleeping through your alarm clock.
- Experiencing tinnitus which is a buzzing or ringing like noise in one or both ears.
- Sounds are muffled or distorted so others may sound like they are mumbling.
- Hearing more clearly out of one ear so directing yourself to listen with that ear.
- Lip reading to identify individual words.
- Avoiding going to parties or noisy restaurants.
- Pretending to hear to get through a conversation.
These symptoms can be experienced mildly to more severely which depends on the degree of hearing loss present. Strained communication often leads to social withdrawal because conversations become challenging to participate in. Increased isolation due to hearing loss can produce depressive symptoms and impact mental health. If you feel withdrawal, you find yourself spending less time with loved ones, and you are skipping out on activities; these are also signs of hearing loss.
What causes hearing loss?
Numerous factors can cause hearing loss. A few of the most common include:
- Aging: the risk of developing age related hearing loss, also known as presbycusis, increases with age. This can be caused by the cumulative impact of noise exposure, changes to the ear, and medical conditions that older adults are also disproportionately impacted by that are correlated with hearing loss.
- Loud noise: one time or regular exposure to loud noise can desensitize and weaken the hair cells in the inner ear. This prevents these sensory cells from processing incoming sound waves resulting in the brain receiving less auditory information which causes hearing loss.
- Existing medical injuries: research shows that a number of medical conditions increase the risk of hearing loss. This includes diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and osteoporosis. These conditions affect blood flow and bone health which are important factors that shape how sound is processed.
Additional causes of hearing loss include head injuries, chronic ear infections, inner ear disorders, and ototoxic medications.
How is hearing loss diagnosed and treated?
The great news about hearing loss is that there is a wealth of hearing healthcare services, resources, and technologies available to support your hearing health. The first step towards treatment is getting your hearing health evaluated by a hearing healthcare specialist. Diagnosing hearing loss involves comprehensive testing that measures hearing capacities in both ears. Hearing tests involve a painless and noninvasive process that identifies your hearing needs.
The most common treatment for hearing loss is hearing aids. These are electronic devices that are designed to absorb, amplify, and process speech as well as sound. This provides the ears and brain with ample support, alleviating symptoms and maximizing hearing capacity. Today’s hearing aids offer numerous styles, technologies, adn features that create optimal hearing experiences. This includes enhanced connectivity, digital noise reduction features, virtual assistants, and smartapps that allow you to easily manage settings. Hearing aids provide significant hearing support enabling wearers to navigate everyday environment and communication with more ease and comfort. This offers countless life-changing benefits including strengthening communication, improving relationships, enriching social life, and boosting overall health and wellness.
Prioritize Your Hearing Health
If you recognize any of the signs of hearing loss previously described, it is important to schedule an appointment for a hearing test as soon as possible. Early intervention can significantly support the hearing you do have and prevent symptoms from worsening. You can prioritize your hearing health by contacting us to get started with your hearing consultation. We are invented in supporting your hearing health and wellness.