Sometimes, it’s easy to identify when you need medical help. You know you need to go see a doctor immediately if you break a bone, for example. With scenarios like this, simply “toughing it out” isn’t a possibility. At least, not for very long (particularly if you want your bones to repair themselves properly).
It isn’t always that obvious when it comes to hearing aids, though. Hearing loss is usually a progressive condition. This means knowing when to get treatment for hearing loss can be tricky.
So keeping an eye out for indications that your hearing may be going is a good idea. If you observe any, it might be time to talk to us about your first set of hearing aids.
Hearing loss and hearing aids
Hearing loss is primarily treated with hearing aids. But everybody who has some degree of hearing loss won’t necessarily need hearing aids. Hearing aids won’t always be beneficial in cases of minor hearing loss. We might want you to hold off on using hearing aids because of this. It’s also possible that we could direct you to only use your hearing aids when you’re in specific situations.
Essentially, the threshold for requiring hearing aids is not always a diagnosis of hearing loss.
However, hearing aids will be the ideal option in many circumstances. Many people won’t get their hearing loss diagnosed until it becomes more severe because hearing loss advances slowly and often goes unnoticed for a while. But if you come in to see us regularly, you might be able to catch your hearing loss early, and, because of this, you might not need hearing aids immediately.
So how will you know if you have hearing loss?
Signs you need a hearing aid
Hearing loss is one of those conditions that can create instant communication issues. The curious thing, though, is that you don’t always realize that those communication issues are the result of hearing loss. So, when is it time for a hearing aid?
Here are a few of the common signs you should look out for:
- You listen to the radio or TV at really loud volumes: Hearing loss could be the culprit if you constantly need to crank the volume of your devices up. This is particularly true if you keep moving that volume knob higher (and even more especially true if the people around you complain about how loud your media is).
- When people talk, you can’t always make out what they said: Many people don’t think they have hearing loss or need hearing aids because the total volume they perceive seems fine. But the thing about hearing loss is that certain frequencies of sound often go before others. Because of this, things like vowel sounds in the higher register can sound distorted. Consequently, you may have a hard time understanding what people are saying to you.
- You have a hard time following conversations in loud places: When people ask, “What are the signs of hearing loss?”, this one almost always comes up. One of the surest indications of hearing loss is that you have trouble following conversations in noisy locations, like bars or restaurants. This occurs because your ears are not getting as much information as they used to, and your brain isn’t really capable of filling in the gaps very easily. Lots of conversations get muddled as a result.
- Phone conversations sound muddled: Even the best phone speakers have a habit of flattening a voice. If you have hearing loss, this can make it even harder to understand conversations. It can be very difficult to hear voices as a result of the loss of these frequencies.
So how should you deal with it?
Obviously, you know exactly what you need to do when you break a bone! But what do you do when you start to notice the symptoms of hearing loss? How bad does hearing loss have to be to call for a hearing aid? That’s not a really easy answer but you should schedule an appointment with us for a hearing assessment if you start to notice any hearing loss symptoms. We will be able to let you know how serious your hearing loss is.
And if you do end up needing hearing aids, a hearing assessment will help determine the best device for your hearing needs. Then you will be able to get back to enjoying good conversations with your friends and family members and doing the things you love.
Call us for a hearing exam so we can help you improve your quality of life.