With the advent of digital media, we can answer almost any question now at the touch of our fingertips. There’s no denying that we live in a time of information overload. Have you ever found yourself paralyzed after perusing article after article, study after study online? According to Alvin Toffler, in his 1970 book Future Shock, “Information overload occurs when the amount of input to a system exceeds its processing capacity. Decision makers have fairly limited cognitive processing capacity. Consequently, when information overload occurs, it is likely that a reduction in decision quality will occur.”
Indeed, having immediate access to information is important for progress. However, when it comes to medical issues, how useful is an onslaught of research and information when the action one must take is to seek treatment? And, furthermore, what if there isn’t a “one size fits all” cure? This is the case in hearing health, our line of work here at My Hearing Centers.
In addition to being an invisible condition that exists quietly for many years, hearing loss is a very personal condition. So, let’s cut to the chase: in this era of information overload, and with our tendencies to fall into a research hole and eventually self-diagnose, use your internet browser to look up your local hearing health professional’s number and schedule a visit!
How We Hear
When we talk about hearing, we usually talk about ears, but the reality is, hearing happens in the brain. Every sound that you pick up and recognize is the result of neural signals traveling well-worn pathways to the auditory center in your brain, where it is identified as a sound with which you are familiar. A friend’s voice, your dog’s bark, your favorite rock song – these are all sounds you recognize built from a foundation of your own personal experiences.
Hearing Loss Happens Gradually
Hearing loss rarely happens immediately. In fact, it may be a number of years before you begin to experience the consequences of living with untreated hearing loss. Because it is an invisible condition, the nebulous consequences of hearing loss may not be immediately apparent to you. You may be turning up the volume a little higher, and you may find yourself asking others to repeat themselves because it sounds like they are mumbling. There are many ways in which we can explain away the realities of hearing loss – at first.
Hearing loss, if left untreated, can and will cause a number of unpleasant effects in our lives. At the forefront is the undeniable link between untreated hearing loss and an increased risk for developing dementia, which has been thoroughly researched in the past few years. On a personal level, hearing loss breaks down our most important relationships by undermining our ability to communicate with friends and loved ones. In this way, hearing loss also becomes an incredibly lonely and isolating condition.
Why You Should Choose a Hearing Health Professional
Sure, there are hearing tests online that you can take on your own. And of course, you could simply take the results of these online hearing tests and buy a pair of hearing aids online yourself. But ask yourself: would you do this with a cardiovascular condition, diabetes, or your vision? Hearing loss must be treated accordingly: as a serious medical condition that requires technical care.
We all hear differently, but there is one thing we share when it comes to hearing: the objective way that it can be measured. Hearing evaluations in a soundproof space, with proper instruments, yield accurate and comprehensive information about your hearing abilities – and this is the kind of information that will actually be helpful to you as you begin to make decisions about your hearing health!
At My Hearing Centers, we provide comprehensive hearing tests and evaluations, and our hearing health specialists are trained to determine the best course of action based on each individual’s hearing needs. Working with a hearing specialist ensures that you will get the personalized care that you need in order to hear at your best.