Sometimes, it’s easy to know when you require medical advice. When you break a bone, for example, 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 (especially if you want your bones to repair themselves properly).
But with regard to hearing aids, it’s not always so easy to know when it’s time to get some help. Hearing loss usually progresses really slowly over time. This means it isn’t always easy to know when you might 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. It’s likely time to call us for a consultation if you do notice any.
Hearing aids and hearing loss
Hearing loss is mainly managed with hearing aids. But that doesn’t mean everyone who has hearing loss will immediately need a pair of hearing aids. In cases where patients have very mild hearing loss, hearing aids won’t always be practical. Because of this, we might want you to wait before starting to use them. It’s also possible that we could direct you to only use your hearing aids when you’re in certain situations.
This means that just because you are diagnosed with hearing loss doesn’t mean you will necessarily need hearing aids.
However, hearing aids will be the ideal answer in many instances. Because hearing loss can be a sneaky and slow condition, many individuals don’t receive a diagnosis until there’s been significant damage. Getting your hearing assessed 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 most likely thinking: how can I tell if I need hearing aids?
Indications you need a hearing aid
Hearing loss is one of those conditions that can cause instant communication obstacles. The funny thing, though, is that you don’t always comprehend that those communication issues are the result of hearing loss. So, when is it time for a hearing aid?
Look out for these indicators:
- Phone conversations sound muffled: Even the highest quality phone speakers have a habit of flattening a voice. That can make it hard to understand, especially if you have hearing loss. Once again, particular frequencies are cut out and the result is that it’s extremely difficult to understand those voices.
- You listen to the radio or TV at high levels: If you’re always turning the volume up on your television or radio or smartphone, it might be the result of hearing loss. If you find individuals around you complaining about the high volume of your devices, this is particularly true.
- When you’re in very loud locations, you have a difficult time following conversations: This is probably one of the most prevailing symptoms of hearing loss. One of the surest signs of hearing loss is that you have difficulty following conversations in loud settings, like bars or restaurants. This happens because your ears aren’t getting as much information as they used to, and your brain isn’t really able to fill in the gaps very easily. Because of this, there’s a lot of muddled conversations.
- You have problems making out what people are saying: 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 funny, it tends to impact certain frequencies before others. Which means that the vast majority of sounds might seem normal but things in the high frequencies (such as particular vowels) will be distorted. This could cause you to have a hard time understanding what people are saying.
So what should you do?
Obviously, you know precisely what you need to do when you break a bone! But what about when you notice these signs that you might need a hearing aid? How bad does hearing loss have to be to call for a hearing aid? That’s not a very easy answer but you should schedule an appointment with us for a hearing test if you start to experience any hearing loss symptoms. We’ll be able to evaluate the health of your hearing and find out just how severe your hearing loss may or may not be.
A hearing test will also help you get the best possible hearing aids for your requirements if you do indeed need hearing aids. Then you will be able to get back to enjoying good conversations with your friends and family members and doing the things you love.
Call us for a hearing test so we can help you improve your quality of life.