In some cases, it’s easy to recognize when you need medical help. You know you need to go to the doctor immediately if you break a bone, for instance. With situations like this, simply “toughing it out” isn’t a possibility. If you want your bones to heal correctly, you need to get them treated as soon as possible.
It isn’t always that obvious when it comes to hearing aids, however. Hearing loss normally advances really gradually over time. This means recognizing when to get treatment for hearing loss can be tricky.
So keeping an eye out for signs that your hearing may be going is a good plan. If you observe any, it may be time to consult us about your first pair of hearing aids.
Hearing loss and hearing aids
Hearing loss is primarily treated with hearing aids. But that doesn’t mean everybody who has hearing loss will instantly need a pair of hearing aids. Hearing aids won’t always be helpful in cases of mild hearing loss. We may want you to hold off on using hearing aids because of this. Likewise, you may be advised to wear hearing aids only in particular situations.
In other words, the threshold for needing hearing aids is not always a diagnosis of hearing loss.
But in many instances hearing aids will be the best option. Many people won’t have their hearing loss diagnosed until it becomes more severe because hearing loss develops gradually and frequently goes undetected 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 require hearing aids immediately.
So how will you know if you have hearing loss?
Indications you need a hearing aid
Hearing loss is one of those conditions that can cause instant communication problems. But a lot of times you don’t even comprehend that hearing loss is the reason for those communication issues. So, at what stage will a hearing aid help?
Watch out for these signs:
- The volume on your devices is getting really loud: If you’re continuously turning the volume up on your television or radio or smartphone, it might be the result of hearing loss. If you find individuals around you complaining about the high volume of your devices, this is especially true.
- When people speak, you can’t always understand what they said: Many individuals feel like the total 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 usually go before others. Which means that the vast majority of sounds could seem ordinary but things in the high frequencies (such as certain vowels) will be distorted. This could cause you to have a tough time understanding what people are saying.
- When you’re in very loud locations, you have a difficult time following conversations: This is probably one of the most prevailing symptoms of hearing loss. One of the surest indications of hearing loss is that you have trouble following conversations in loud locations, like bars or restaurants. This occurs because your ears aren’t receiving as much information as they used to, and your brain isn’t really able to fill in the gaps very easily. Because of this, there’s a lot of muffled conversations.
- Phone conversations sound muddled: Even the highest quality phone speakers tend to flatten a voice. If you have hearing loss, this can make it even more challenging to understand conversations. Again, specific frequencies are cut out and the result is that it’s very hard to understand those voices.
So what should you do?
When you break a bone, it’s clear cut what to do: you go see the doctor! But what about when you notice these indications that you may need a hearing aid? How bad does hearing loss need 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 begin to experience any hearing loss symptoms. We’ll be able to evaluate the health of your hearing and find out just how severe your hearing loss may or may not be.
And if you do end up needing hearing aids, a hearing test will help identify the best device for your hearing needs. This means you’ll be able to get back to spending quality time with your friends and loved ones, you’ll understand your grandkids when they call you on the phone, your co-workers at your morning meeting, and your friends at happy hour.
Give us a call to schedule your hearing test, we can help you recognize if you’re suffering from hearing loss.