Recently updated on October 25th, 2022 at 11:11 am
Like the greying of hair, the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and other signs of aging, hearing loss is a common thing that comes with age.
Although the loss isn’t sudden, it’s often hard to know when exactly it started and how long you’ve been affected by it.
It’s just like catching a glimpse of silver hair, a wrinkle, or a stretch mark in the mirror one day when you – or your loved ones – begin to notice hearing loss.
So, what are the signs of hearing loss? What can you do about it? Let’s find out.
Signs You are Losing Your Hearing
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The first signs of hearing loss are often so subtle that you can miss them. But it is important to make a note of these as soon as possible and discuss them with your doctor or audiologist.
You can also look up ‘hearing test near me’ and get testing done just to be sure.
Here we’ve put together a list of the most common first few symptoms of hearing loss people have cited to have experienced right before it got worse.
1. Loss of High Pitched Hearing
Usually, the first thing you may notice is the inability to hear the bell of the microwave or the shrill and loud noises like those of children or women.
The science behind it is that the cells of the cochlea weaken over time hence the inability to hear the shrill and high-pitched sounds.
2. Lip Reading
Another common early sign of losing hearing is that you start paying attention to people’s lips to make out the words. It is often one of the most subtle signs and is easily missed.
3. You feel Extra Tired
You’ll find yourself feeling extra tired, especially when you are out at social events or when you have more than one person speaking. Since it takes more effort to make out the words in a conversation, it is tiring making sense out of such discussions.
4. It Seems Extra Noisy Everywhere
The background noises often make it difficult for you to stay focused on the speaker. They may even seem heightened on certain occasions.
Repercussions of Not Getting Tested
Untreated, undiagnosed hearing loss can often lead to other severe problems. People, when they can’t hear well, feel alone and depressed.
Often they can’t pin the exact issue, i.e., the loss of hearing and find it hard to connect with others.
This may also lead to memory loss and other such issues later on.
Where to Get Tested
Hearing tests can be done at an audiologist’s office. Usually, the kind of test administered depends on certain factors such as age, health, and the patient’s mental development.
In a basic test, the audiologist checks for a response after the patient hears a sound. So, you need to google ‘hearing test near me’ and just get an appointment first.
Finding the Best Treatment
Now there are a number of treatment options for hearing loss, typically age-related hearing loss. Here are the top treatments you can get at any audiologist that’ll help.
1. Hearing Aids and Implants
Image Source: hearinghealthfoundation.org
While these do not help cure the condition, they definitely make it better. Hearing Aids are just like eyewear, you need to find the right fit, and you’ll be able to hear, and process sounds better.
Then there are cochlear implants too that can work for the elderly.
2. Rehab
There’s also rehab and auditory training your audiologist can guide you to. These help with the processing of the sound, basically.
Some of these can be done at home, but you’ll need to see a therapist for the more advanced ones.
3. Assistive Learning Devices (ALDs)
Sometimes the audiologist may think it best not to advise the use of hearing aids. There are some other ALDs instead that can help address the specific needs of the patient.
These are typically useful for listening to music, watching TV, and telecons.
ALDs include TV hearing devices, captioned phones, apps, and amplified phones, etc.
Conclusion
Loss of hearing may be less talked about, but it is very common and comes part and parcel with age. Thanks to all the advancements of science, now we have multiple options we can look into for treatment and discuss with our audiologist.
The key is to make sure you don’t delay the visit!
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