Recognizing when you need some medical advice is typically fairly easy. When you break your leg, for instance, you know you should go to the doctor (or the emergency room, depending on the scenario). You could need a splint or a cast or supportive device, but the point is that you’re not likely to try “toughing it out”. At least, not for that long (particularly if you want your bones to mend themselves properly).
It’s not always that obvious in terms of hearing aids, though. Hearing loss is typically a progressive condition. This means recognizing when to get treatment for hearing loss can be difficult.
That’s why it’s a good idea to watch out for some distinct signposts that you may be losing your ability to communicate. It’s likely time to call us for a consultation if you do detect any.
Hearing loss and hearing aids
Hearing loss is mainly treated with hearing aids. But that doesn’t mean everyone who has hearing loss will immediately need a pair of hearing aids. In cases where patients have very mild hearing loss, hearing aids won’t always be helpful. We may want you to hold off on using hearing aids because of this. Likewise, you might be instructed to wear hearing aids only in certain situations.
This means that just because you’re diagnosed with hearing loss doesn’t mean you will necessarily need hearing aids.
But in many cases hearing aids will be the best solution. Because hearing loss can be a sneaky and gradual condition, lots of people don’t get a diagnosis until there’s been significant damage. But if you come in for a hearing exam 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?
You need hearing aids if you experience these signs
Instant communication problems can be the consequence of hearing loss. But lots of times you don’t even recognize that hearing loss is the reason for those communication issues. So, at what stage will a hearing aid help you?
Look out for these indicators:
- You’re unable to understand people on the phone: 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. Once again, specific frequencies are cut out and the outcome is that it’s extremely hard to hear those voices.
- When you’re in very loud settings, you have a difficult time following conversations: When people ask, “What are the signs of hearing loss?”, this one is almost always mentioned. One of the surest signs of hearing loss is that you have trouble following conversations in loud locations, like bars or restaurants. This happens 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 as easily. Lots of conversations get muddled because of this.
- The volume on your devices is getting very loud: Hearing loss could be the culprit if you continually need to turn the volume of your devices up. If you find individuals around you complaining about the loud volume of your devices, this is especially relevant.
- When people talk, you can’t always make out what they said: Many individuals don’t think they have hearing loss or need hearing aids because the total volume they hear seems fine. But hearing loss is curious, it tends to impact certain frequencies before others. Due to this, things like vowel sounds in the higher pitches can sound distorted. As a result, you might have a tough time understanding what people are saying to you.
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 notice these indications that you might need a hearing aid? What degree of hearing loss requires hearing aids? Well, that’s difficult to answer, but when you begin detecting these signs, it’s a good idea to schedule an appointment with us. We will be able to inform you about how severe 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. This means you’ll be able to get back to spending quality time with your friends and family, you’ll hear your grandkids when they give you a call, your co-workers at your morning meeting, and your friends at the pub.
Give us a call to schedule your hearing exam, we can help you understand if you’re suffering from hearing loss.