What To Do If You Are Experiencing Hearing Loss

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Your hearing is important. Without it, you would not be able to enjoy your favourite music. Conversations with friends and family may become difficult to follow as you would need to adapt your other senses to accommodate it. You would miss out on a lot of different sounds and information about the world around you.

But people do experience hearing loss, and it is something that is a lot more common than you may expect. You may think that it is something that is largely experienced by older people, however, hearing loss is something that can affect anyone, and at any age. 

What Are The Signs That You Are Suffering From Hearing Loss?

Hearing loss is something that very often comes on gradually. It may start with you just mishearing a few words, or losing parts of conversations. If you find that you have to ask people to repeat themselves, then this may be a telltale sign that you are experiencing hearing loss. 

In crowded places, hearing loss can become quite apparent. Normally, you would be able to hear someone who you are stood next to. But when you are experiencing hearing loss, you may find that sounds all blend into one and it becomes very difficult to clearly understand the people that you are speaking with.

Another common problem that people find with their hearing is that they get a ringing in their ears. This is a sign that you may have tinnitus. Often, the ringing does not really ever stop, making it almost unbearable at times for anyone who experiences it. An audiologist may help you to find solutions that allow you to manage this ringing sound. 

What Should You Do If You Think That You Have Hearing Loss?

Getting help with your hearing loss is essential. You may feel embarrassed or worried about needing to get help with your hearing. But getting the help that you need will improve the quality of your hearing and as such, improve the quality of your life. 

The first thing that you should do is to make an appointment with an audiologist. An audiologist is a specialist in matters relating to the ear. They have an in-depth understanding of the problems that you may face with regards to your hearing. They can very often identify the cause of the deterioration in your hearing, and propose ways of improving it.

What To Expect From A Visit To An Audiologist?

When you first visit your audiologist, they are very likely to ask you a few questions about your health. If you have suffered from any illnesses or had any accidents. The audiologist will also ask you about your lifestyle and the type of work that you might do. It’s important that you answer all of these questions with as much honesty as possible. This kind of background information will help the audiologist to identify the root cause of your hearing loss, and it may help them to determine the best course of action. Sometimes the underlying cause could be an infection that has not been treated, or you may have a build-up of wax inside your ear canal. 

Following this conversation, your audiologist will then examine your ear canal, looking for signs of damage or blockage. 

You will then complete a series of tests. These will generally consist of you listening to sounds through a set of headphones and indicating when you have heard them.

Again, be honest when you complete the test as these tests are designed to indicate the type of hearing loss that you are experiencing and the results may well affect the treatment options that you get given.

What Kind Of Treatment Can You Expect From Your Audiologist?

Your audiologist will be able to suggest a course of action that you should take following on from your hearing test. This may involve wearing a hearing aid. 

Modern hearing aids are often very lightweight and are designed to be comfortable and subtle. You can even get hearing aids that will pair up with your smartphone. 

Hearing aids are precision devices. Once set up, your hearing aid should be perfect for your ears and your specific hearing needs. 

If you are given a hearing aid to wear, it is important that you do actually wear it. It may take you some time to adjust to as sounds may appear much louder than before, but once you get used wearing it, you will find that the quality of your hearing improves greatly.