Hearing loss is common and treatable
One in six adults 18 and older have hearing loss. Learn all about hearing loss here. Plus, what you can do to treat it.
What is hearing loss?
Hearing loss is the reduction in our ability to hear certain sounds and affects 750 million adults worldwide.
Because it is gradual, it's important to be aware of hearing loss signs.
Common signs of hearing loss
You frequently ask others to repeat themselves
If you find yourself saying “what?” all the time, or you need to be looking at someone to hear what they’re saying (by also reading their lips), your hearing might be fading.
You turn the TV to a volume others find loud
When you can’t have a conversation because your TV is too loud, it’s time to get a hearing test.
You have trouble understanding conversations in noisy places
This is one of the first challenges people with hearing loss encounter: tracking what someone else is saying in a noise-filled place like a restaurant.
You have difficulty hearing women and children’s voices
High-frequency hearing loss is very common — so it’s to be expected that women and children's voices would be tough to hear.
You feel like others are mumbling
A classic complaint of people who have hearing loss is that others don’t speak clearly. If you find yourself thinking people are mumbling and hard to understand, that may be a symptom of hearing loss.
You have trouble hearing on the phone
If you have trouble occasionally, that is OK. If you constantly feel like you cannot hear on the phone, whether you’re using a landline or mobile phone, this may be a symptom of hearing loss.
You avoid social situations that were once enjoyable
People who can’t engage easily, feel left out of conversations, or who have bad experiences trying to hear in public spaces often decide it’s easier to decline invitations and stay at home. It doesn’t have to be this way.
You have ringing in your ears
Ringing in your ears is often thought to be a symptom of hearing loss or damage to the auditory system — and hearing loss and tinnitus very often go hand in hand.
You are told by others that you have hearing loss
If more than one friend or family member questions your hearing acuity — in seriousness or jest — guess what? They could be onto something.
Hearing loss impacts all aspects of your life
Hearing plays a major role in our emotional well-being, physical health, and overall quality of life.
Yet millions of people with hearing loss let it go untreated, despite research showing increased risk of falls, depression, anxiety, and dementia.
Hearing loss treatment
Though hearing loss is not reversible, most cases are easily treatable.
What to do if you have hearing loss
If you’ve concluded you have hearing loss experts recommend you consult with someone who specializes in hearing issues.
You can start with your doctor or general practitioner (GP), who will most likely refer you to a hearing healthcare professional. Or, you can go directly to a hearing healthcare professional, like an audiologist or hearing aid specialist.
The goal is to find a professional who specializes in hearing: someone who has the equipment, training and expertise to thoroughly evaluate your hearing and work with you to develop a personalized treatment solution.
See someone as soon as possible
Experts also recommend you treat hearing loss sooner rather than later. Study after study have linked untreated hearing loss to an array of issues like depression, anxiety, increased risk of falls and hospitalizations, and even dementia1. Also, the longer you live with impaired hearing, the longer and harder it will be to recover once treatment starts.
“If you want to address hearing loss well, do it sooner rather than later…before brain structural changes take place.”
— Frank Lin, M.D., Ph.D. Johns Hopkins Medicine
Insist on a tailored treatment solution
If hearing loss is confirmed during your appointment with a hearing healthcare professional, you’ll most likely be prescribed hearing aids. Hearing aids are by far the most common way to treat hearing loss. They can help the majority of people who have hearing loss, especially if the hearing aids have been fit by an experienced professional.
Just as every person is unique, every person’s hearing needs are unique. That’s why it’s important that if you do get hearing aids, they are fit, programmed and customized to your specific hearing and lifestyle needs — and that you have access to proper follow-up and aftercare treatment.
Today’s hearing aids are miracles of modern engineering
Like other high-tech devices, hearing aids have improved significantly in recent years. They’ve become smaller, offer improved sound quality, and include new capabilities like fitness tracking, fall detection and language translation.
From “invisible” solutions that fit deep inside your ear and are virtually undetectable, to wireless options that stream audio from your TV or phone, today’s hearing aids provide more natural hearing, fit more comfortably and perform more reliably than ever before.
What to Expect
We know it can be daunting when you don’t know what to expect. Find out more about what you can expect at your first Hearing Appointment.
Ready to take the next step?
Chicagoland Hearing is here to help.
Call us today to schedule your hearing test and learn about which hearing aid is the right hearing aid for YOU.
We are here to help. Contact us today!
