Recognizing when you require some medical advice is typically pretty easy. When you break your leg, for instance, you know you should go to the doctor (or the emergency room, depending on the scenario). With situations like this, simply “toughing it out” isn’t an option. At least, not for very long (particularly if you want your bones to mend themselves correctly).
It isn’t always that clear cut in terms of hearing aids, though. Hearing loss usually advances really slowly over time. This means it isn’t always easy to know when you may need to begin using hearing aids or to put off seeking treatment you know could be helpful.
So keeping an eye out for indications that your hearing may be going is a good plan. If you observe any, it might be time to talk to us about your first pair of hearing aids.
Hearing loss and hearing aids
Hearing aids are the main form of treatment for hearing loss. But everyone who has some level of hearing loss won’t automatically need hearing aids. In situations where patients have very minor hearing loss, hearing aids won’t always be useful. As a result, we may want you to wait before beginning to use them. It’s also feasible that we could direct you to only wear your hearing aids when you’re in certain situations.
This means that just because you’re diagnosed with hearing loss doesn’t mean you will automatically require hearing aids.
But in many situations hearing aids will be the best answer. Because hearing loss can be a sneaky and slow condition, lots of individuals don’t receive a diagnosis until there’s been considerable damage. Getting your hearing tested regularly is the key to catching hearing loss early and possibly mitigating the need for hearing aids.
And if that’s the case, you’re probably thinking: how can I tell if I require hearing aids?
Indications you need a hearing aid
Hearing loss is one of those conditions that can create instant communication problems. The funny thing, though, is that you don’t always comprehend that those communication obstacles are due to hearing loss. So, when is it time for a hearing aid?
Here are a few of the common signs you should look out for:
- You listen to the radio or TV at high volumes: Hearing loss could be the cause if you continually need to crank the volume of your devices up. If you find people around you complaining about the loud volume of your devices, this is especially true.
- When you’re in very loud locations, you have a difficult time following conversations: This is probably one of the most common symptoms of hearing loss. If you have trouble hearing conversations in noisy places, that’s usually a sure sign that you have hearing loss. That’s because your brain has a hard time filling in the missing information that you lose when you have hearing impairment. Lots of conversations get muddled because of this.
- 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 overall volume they hear seems fine. But hearing loss is curious, it tends to impact specific frequencies before others. Due to this, things like vowel sounds in the higher register can sound distorted. This could cause you to have a tough time making out what people are saying.
- Phone conversations sound muffled: Voices usually sound a little flat on even high-quality phone speakers. If you have hearing loss, this can make it even harder to understand conversations. It can be extremely challenging to hear voices as a result of the loss of these frequencies.
So what should you do?
Obviously, you know exactly what you have to do when you break a bone! But what do you do when you begin to detect the symptoms of hearing loss? What degree of hearing loss requires hearing aids? Well, that’s difficult to answer, but when you begin detecting these symptoms, it’s a good plan to schedule an appointment with us. We’ll be able to assess the health of your hearing and ascertain just how severe your hearing loss may or may not be.
And if you do end up needing hearing aids, a hearing assessment will help determine the best device for your hearing needs. Then you will be able to get back to taking pleasure in good conversations with your friends and family members and doing the things you love.
Call us for a hearing exam so we can help you improve your quality of life.