Knowing when you need some medical advice is usually rather easy. You know you need to go to the doctor immediately if you break a bone, for example. With situations like this, simply “toughing it out” isn’t an option. At least, not for that long (particularly if you want your bones to mend themselves properly).
It’s not always that clear cut in terms of hearing aids, however. Hearing loss normally progresses very gradually over time. That means it’s not always easy to know when you might need to start using hearing aids or to put off finding treatment you know could be helpful.
That’s why it’s a good idea to keep an eye out for some particular indicators that you may be losing your ability to communicate. If you observe any, it might be time to consult us about your first pair of hearing aids.
Hearing loss and hearing aids
Hearing loss is mainly treated with hearing aids. But that doesn’t mean everyone who has hearing loss will instantly need a set of hearing aids. In cases where patients have very slight hearing loss, hearing aids won’t always be practical. Because of this, we might want you to wait before beginning to use them. In addition, you might be instructed to wear hearing aids only in particular situations.
This means that just because you’re diagnosed with hearing loss doesn’t mean you will automatically need hearing aids.
But in many instances hearing aids will be the best answer. Because hearing loss can be a sneaky and gradual condition, lots of individuals don’t get a diagnosis until there’s been substantial damage. But if you come in to see us regularly, you may be able to catch your hearing loss early, and, as a result, you might not need hearing aids immediately.
So how will you know if you have hearing loss?
You need hearing aids if you recognize these signs
Immediate communication problems can be the result of hearing loss. The curious thing, though, is that you don’t always comprehend that those communication difficulties are caused by hearing loss. So, when is it time for a hearing aid?
Watch out for these indicators:
- When people speak, you can’t always make out what they said: Many individuals feel like the overall volume of life is fine so they never imagine that they might have hearing loss. But the thing about hearing loss is that particular frequencies of sound tend to go before others. Which means that the great majority of sounds might seem ordinary but things in the high frequencies (such as certain vowels) will be distorted. This could cause you to have a hard time making out what people are saying.
- When you’re in noisy locations, you have a difficult time following conversations: This is probably one of the most common symptoms of hearing loss. One of the surest signs of hearing loss is that you have trouble following conversations in noisy settings, like bars or restaurants. That’s because your brain has difficulty filling in the missing information that you lose when you have hearing impairment. Lots of conversations get muddled because of this.
- You listen to the radio or TV at really loud volumes: If you’re constantly turning up the volume on your television or radio or smartphone, it may be due to hearing loss. If you find individuals around you complaining about the high volume of your devices, this is particularly true.
- Phone conversations sound muffled: Voices typically sound a bit flat on even high-quality phone speakers. That can make it difficult to understand, especially if you have hearing loss. It can be extremely challenging to hear voices as a result of the loss of these frequencies.
So how should you deal with it?
When you break a bone, it’s clear cut what to do: you go to the doctor! But what about when you detect these signs that you may need a hearing aid? How bad does hearing loss have to be to call for a hearing aid? That’s not a very easy answer but you should make an appointment with us for a hearing exam if you begin to detect any hearing loss symptoms. We will be able to inform you about how serious your hearing loss is.
And if you do end up needing hearing aids, a hearing test will help identify the best device for your hearing needs. Then you will be able to get back to enjoying good conversations with your friends and loved ones and doing the things you love.
Call us for a hearing exam so we can help you improve your quality of life.