You know what it’s like to attempt to disregard a toothache? They can be quite rough. Before long, you end up having no other option but to consult a dentist. The same thing takes place when your eyesight begins to lose focus. When you have difficulties reading street signs, you’ll likely make a consultation with an ophthalmologist. The concern is, you may not show quite so much urgency when your hearing begins to go.
This would most likely be an oversight. There are considerable health problems (especially mental health issues) that can develop as a result of untreated hearing loss. Regrettably, it’s pretty difficult to address your diminishing hearing if you aren’t aware of it. And that’s problem number two.
You May Have Hearing Loss if You Detect These Symptoms
We normally don’t appreciate our hearing. A high volume music event? No worry. Blaring ear pods? You like to listen to your podcasts this way. But each of those decisions, especially in the long run, is going to have a substantial affect on your overall hearing.
It can, unfortunately, be hard to notice these impacts. Hearing loss can creep up on you incrementally, with symptoms that progress so gradually as to be effectively invisible. So you should take some time to learn some primary red flags (and to deal with them sooner than later):
- Distorted or muffled sounding voices from individuals around you (family, co-workers, friends)
- When you listen to casual speech, you have a particularly hard time making out consonants
- You can’t keep a set of earbuds because you keep blowing the speakers
- Your short term memory tends to suddenly fail sometimes
- You feel an unexplained sense of fatigue or have significant difficulty falling asleep at night
- You find yourself asking those around you to repeat themselves quite often
- You always need to turn up the volume on your devices
- When you’re in a crowded noisy setting you have a tough time following conversations
It’s pretty well recognized what these red flags and symptoms indicate. If your loss of hearing comes on especially gradually, your brain will immediately start compensating for any hearing loss that develops, making you somewhat unaware, at first, to your symptoms. That’s the reason why any of these warning signs should be taken seriously, which means you need to make an appointment to see your hearing professional.
What Happens if You Neglect Your Hearing Loss?
Indeed, some individuals are quite obstinate. Or they just don’t favor the idea of wearing a hearing aid. They maintain this fear that wearing a hearing aid is some sort of immediate sign for old age (as though continuously asking somebody to speak up is a sign of unending youth). But that’s not really the case (most hearing aids can be quite discreet, and being able to converse fluently is a boon, too).
Still, if you neglect hearing loss it may lead to numerous problems:
- You could cause your hearing to get worse: Without a hearing aid or increased ear protection, you’ll keep cranking the volume on your television higher. Or you won’t use earplugs when you go to rock concerts. And your hearing will continue declining as you continue doing damage to your ears.
- You may have strained relationships: When you have a hard time comprehending what your family and friends are saying, something can change in the relationship: you avoid speaking with them. You quit saying hi, you quit checking in, you distance yourself. And that can hurt some of those relationships, particularly if the issue is hearing loss that you have kept secret (and not because you’re angry at them).
- Depression and cognitive decline could result: You may begin to notice symptoms of depression as your relationships falter and going out becomes harder. You may also start to go through some mental decline if your brain doesn’t get the auditory activation that it’s used to, certain changes start to take place within your neural physiology. This can result in long term cognitive challenges if your hearing loss isn’t managed.
Don’t Ignore Your Hearing Loss
Later on, clearly, bigger and more substantial issues can be triggered by hearing loss. Conversely, your quality of life can be significantly improved by acknowledging and treating your hearing loss. When you hear better, your relationships get better and your every day life seems fuller. And your general health will be enhanced by consulting a hearing specialist or at least downloading a noise monitoring app.
Hearing loss is certainly a health condition you shouldn’t neglect. A happier life begins when you find the correct treatment. Manage your hearing loss before it gets too severe to ignore.