Peter studied hearing aid fitting at the world headquarters of Starkey Labs. He was able to have hands on training with the company’s founder, Bill Austin. He has also undergone advanced training in the smallest, nearly invisible style hearing aids, and has expanded his education by traveling to Denmark to learn directly from European hearing aid manufacturers. He continues to attend conferences and training seminars to stay current on the rapidly evolving world of hearing aid technology.
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Do you have hearing loss? You may not even know it. Hearing loss often develops gradually over years. It may first start as just the loss of subtle sounds such as the pitch in which birds chirp or the wind passes through leaves. Over years, or even decades the loss of sound can progress, all the while an individual rationalizes and compensates for the loss. Many people live in denial of hearing loss for years, but this doesn’t mean that the negative side effects are not making a significance on your health. Let’s explore the risks of hearing loss and the early warning signs, so the hearing loss doesn’t sneak up on you.
Risks of Early Hearing Loss
Even a mild case of hearing loss can start to affect every aspect of your life. Relationships with friends, family, and co-workers start to become distant as communication issues impede your ability to connect. This can lead to feelings of low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, and loneliness. However, it is not just emotional health that is affected. Even a mild case of hearing loss can cause cognitive decline. A recent study followed self-reported data from 10,000 people over the age of 62 and found that even a mild hearing loss, increases the chance of reporting cognitive decline by 30% in comparison with those who had no hearing loss at all.
The Importance of Treatment
So, what can you do to prevent the effects of cognitive decline, depression, anxiety, and more associated with hearing loss? Hearing aids are the most common treatment for hearing loss in 80% of all cases. These amazing devices amplify sound waves, convert them to electrical signals and send them to the inner ear. With the dedicated use of hearing aids, many patients report improvements in emotional, mental, and cognitive health. However, of the 28 million people who could use hearing aids, only 30% have ever tried them. Of those who do, it takes on average 10 years from the first diagnosis to invest in treatment.
Taking action around hearing loss and knowing the signs can be the difference between loneliness, cognitive decline, and decreased mobility versus an improved quality of life all around with hearing aids. So, what are the signs?
Confused During Conversation
The most common warning sign of hearing loss is a feeling of confusion during conversations. Do you find yourself having to ask for what more often than you’d like? Do certain people’s voices seem just out of reach? It could be people with higher-pitched voices, as higher frequencies are the first to go in most cases. Similarly, voices may seem muffled which causes frustration and confusion. Often communication issues will be enough for many to opt-out of social interactions whenever possible increasing loneliness and associated health risks.
Conflict Over The TV
Do you find you need to have the volume set higher on the TV or stereo just to hear? Others may complain that you blast the volume, leading to regular conflicts. If this has become the norm in your home, it’s time to have your hearing checked. Similarly, if you find you miss important information over the phone and haven’t been calling friends and family quite as much it could signal a hearing loss.
Exhaustion after Events
When you do make it out to social events, do you find that you feel exhausted afterward? Eventually, it may be more of a hassle to socialize than to stay at home. This is particularly an issue for people who were previously outgoing and enjoyed connecting to friends. The loud noise or competing conversations is enough to leave you feeling confused and drained.
Ringing in the Ears
If you find that when you finally get to a quiet place it’s hard to find real peace due to a phantom ring in the ears, which seems to have no external source. This is called tinnitus and is often a sign that you have hearing loss
Addressing Hearing Loss
If you’ve noticed that your hearing isn’t what it used to be, it’s important to schedule a hearing test. Based on your hearing test we will be able to recommend the treatment methods which might be right for you. The sooner you address a hearing loss the better for your overall health, for years to come.