By: Linda Burhans
You’ve seen the people walking around with hearing aids in one or both ears, and so far you’re pretty glad you haven’t had to get one yourself. You’re wondering, though, if maybe you do need one after all. It’s a bit embarrassing, really, and you haven’t noticed any sudden changes in your hearing but your spouse is starting to tease you about how loud you turn up the TV.
Is it time to get a hearing aid? Let’s take a look.
The realities of hearing loss
Over time, everybody experiences some level of hearing loss. It’s a natural part of aging. Some people, though, have severe enough hearing loss that it interferes with their daily lives. It is estimated that at least 25 million people in the United States have some form of hearing loss, and the majority of those people are over the age of 65. In fact, up to 25% of all people over 65 have a high enough level of hearing loss to cause problems.
The causes of hearing loss are wide ranging and include the things you would expect (frequent exposure to loud machinery, jet engines, loud music, power tools, etc.) as well as some things you might not expect (head injuries, medications, infection, stroke, excess ear wax, etc.). There is no good explanation for why some people can be exposed to these things and experience no hearing loss while other receive the same exposure and have significant hearing loss.
Today’s advances in technology have made it easier and more discreet than ever for people with hearing loss to get the treatment they need to counteract their hearing problems. In most cases this means getting a hearing aid, which can come in a variety of styles including over the ear, in the outer ear, in the ear canal, and attached to the body. Some cases of particularly severe hearing loss can be helped with the surgical implantation of a device called a cochlear implant.
Signs you might need a hearing aid
Chances are if you are dealing with hearing loss there are symptoms and signs that are noticeable to yourself and to others. Some examples of things that might indicate you need a hearing aid include:
- Asking others to repeat their words because you didn’t hear them the first time
- Difficulty understanding spoken words in group situations or in situations where there is a lot of background noise
- Others say that you speak very loudly or even shout when you speak to them
- You have to have the radio, TV, or stereo turned up very loud in order to hear them
- You notice a ringing or hissing noise in your ears
- When people talk to you it sounds as if they are mumbling or not speaking clearly
- When people talk you automatically turn one ear or the other slightly toward the sound to help you hear it better
With hearing loss you might notice all of these signs, some of these signs, or even just one of these signs. When you do start to notice them it doesn’t happen suddenly but instead appears gradually and slowly gets worse over time. If any of the signs and signals listed above apply to you then it’s time to get a thorough hearing exam from a certified audiologist or other certified health care professional.
Get tested for accurate diagnosis
Getting tested for accurate diagnosis of hearing loss is absolutely essential because different types of hearing loss respond better to different types of hearing aids and treatments. The test itself is quick, easy, and entirely painless. Your audiologist will go through a variety of steps to test different aspects of your hearing and then interpret the results to determine your type and degree of hearing loss.
In most seniors hearing loss occurs because of some sort of damage to the inner ear. This damage may occur naturally due to normal aging or it may occur from repeated exposure to loud noises. Regardless of the cause, in this situation you can usually get very good results with the use of an appropriate hearing aid.
Remember, hearing loss is a normal part of aging and is nothing to be embarrassed or ashamed about. With correct diagnosis and appropriate treatment you can start hearing more normally again and stop missing out on the sounds around you.