Sadly, as you get older, you will likely come across more and more health problems. There are lots of signs that you may be experiencing a little bit of hearing loss. If you often find that others are mumbling at you or if you have trouble participating in a group setting, then it may be the fact that you need a little help in the hearing department.
The good news is that hearing aids are a quick and easy fix to your problems if you need them. Here is a little advice on how to know if you need them.
The initial signs of hearing loss
There are plenty of early signs and changes that you may experience when you are suffering from hearing loss. You may begin to think that everyone is mumbling and find yourself asking people more and more often what they are saying, especially in loud situations.
You may also find that you have the TV or radio louder than anybody else wants. Additionally, if you are having problems hearing people on the phone, then you may be suffering from the beginnings of hearing loss.
Hearing but not understanding
One of the most common types of hearing loss that people experience is that they have hearing loss in the range of high-pitched sounds. This means that you miss consonants rather than vowels.
You may be able to hear the words, but understanding them can become very difficult. The elusive sounds made by letters such as ‘S, SH, F, and TH’ can be lost, especially in louder situations. This is something to watch out for.
Hearing Aids
Hearing aids are not there to correct your hearing back to normal. They do not work as glasses do for your eyesight. Hearing aids instead amplify the sounds in particular ranges.
You can include in these sounds more than just speech. It can cover bell ringing, birds singing, and nearby conversations.
However, you need to remember that they are an aid and not a fix. Thus, you should not rely on them on their own and employ other communication strategies as well.
One or two?
When you experience hearing loss, it may not be at an even level. It may only be one ear affected. If you have hearing loss in both ears, then you may want to invest in two devices. However, there are always exceptions to this rule. Consult your audiologist to find out which option is best for you. The benefit of wearing hearing aids can be an improved ability to understand speech in background noise and an improved ability to locate where sounds are coming from.
Hearing loss
Hearing loss is nothing to be ashamed of. It is something that can happen to us all, and there is such an easy strategy to make your life easier. You can use hearing aids or even learn sign language to help you communicate. Make sure to go see your audiologist if you feel like you are suffering from hearing loss.
