Having hearing loss might not seem like such a big deal to you. Maybe you don’t always hear the phone ring, or your spouse gets upset when you ask them to repeat themselves again, but other than that your hearing loss isn’t affecting you, right? Wrong.
Hearing loss impacts all areas of your life, and avoiding treating your hearing loss can lead to a host of physical and mental concerns. Hearing loss is vastly under-recognized and under-treated in America, since many people decide their hearing loss is just a little annoyance they can live with, and don’t realize how serious hearing loss can get.
How Common is Hearing Loss?
Think about it. The older we get, the more our bodies slowly wear down. It’s no different with hearing loss. One in three people over 60 have hearing loss, and that grows to over half of people over 70. Of course, younger generations also risk hearing loss from noisy jobs and leisure activities.
Age related hearing loss, or presbycusis, occurs slowly and gradually over time. It often sneaks up on you, since hearing loss doesn’t change much from one day to the next. Higher sounds are often the first to be affected. Think about the last time you heard the birds singing. If you can’t remember hearing birds recently, you’re probably suffering from hearing loss. Conversations will become more difficult, and soon you’ll be straining to understand even in a quiet room.
The Dark Side of Untreated Hearing Loss
If you’re one of those people who have decided your hearing loss isn’t really affecting you, read on. It’s easy to agree that untreated hearing loss means you have difficulty picking up on all the subtle sounds around you, but living with hearing loss leads to a host of other health concerns far greater than missing out on a word here or there.
With untreated hearing loss, you can expect to experience a lot of negative health outcomes, like rapid cognitive decline. When you can’t hear, all the regions of your brain associated with hearing start to suffer and neurons die rapidly, leading to reduced cognitive function. Untreated hearing loss is also linked to higher rates of dementia, as well as earlier onset of dementia.
The downsides aren’t just physical. Your mental health will suffer when you live with hearing loss. If you can’t communicate easily and have trouble in conversations, it’s not surprising that your relationships start to suffer. Those with untreated hearing loss often stay home from social gatherings since they feel embarrassed when they are unable to follow the many conversations happening around them. This leads to all the negative effects of isolation, anxiety, and even depression.
The Good News
While this sounds frightening, don’t worry! The good news is, hearing loss is completely treatable! Research shows that treating hearing loss counteracts all the negative effects of living with hearing loss, so you can continue living a full and happy life despite your aging ears.
The best decision you can make for your physical and mental health is to take a hearing test. It includes an ear exam to check for earwax buildup, fluids, or any other obstruction, and a look at your medical history to watch for warning signs of hearing loss. Finally, a hearing test includes auditory tests that determine your hearing range at every volume.
Get Fitted for a Hearing Aid Today
If you want to get back to meaningful conversations, easy phone calls, and watching TV without struggling to hear, it’s time to stop making excuses and get a hearing aid. Today’s hearing aids are nothing like the clunky, whistling devices you’re imagining, but are sleek and subtle. Hearing technology has produced high quality, effective, and beautiful hearing aids to suit any lifestyle and level of hearing loss.
Our top hearing aid brands do much more than simply amplify sounds. They’re sophisticated hearing devices that feature noise reduction, feedback cancelation, and speech recognition. Automatically switching between programs and remembering your preferred settings means you don’t have to spend time fumbling with a hearing aid, but can easily hear in any listening environment. Some have programs designed to reduce wind noise for active outdoor lifestyles, while others have high definition sound perfect for the music lovers.
Whatever your needs, we have a hearing aid to match. Visit us today at one of our My Hearing Centers locations to explore your hearing options.