Why People Avoid Treating Hearing Loss — and Why You Should Schedule a Hearing Test

Hearing loss is one of the most prevalent chronic health conditions in the U.S. and having hearing loss can make you vulnerable to serious corollary conditions. Catching and treating hearing loss early can minimize many of its negative consequences; yet, much of the time it goes undiagnosed and untreated.  Currently there’s a seven-year-gap on average between the time a person first notices trouble with their hearing and when they seek treatment. Closing that gap is important, as is understanding how our hearing is integral to our overall health.

 

Recognizing A Hearing Problem

The largest percentage of hearing loss happens gradually, making it both tough to recognize and easier to delay seeking treatment. Oftentimes, those with hearing loss are not the first to recognize their impairment. This is because the body and mind are constantly adjusting to gradual hearing loss, making it hard to isolate a threshold between when hearing difficulty moves from a minor inconvenience to a major disability. Family, friends and coworkers who are being consistently being asked to speak up and repeat themselves are usually among the first to perceive a person’s hearing difficulty.

 

The Misunderstood Consequences of Hearing Loss

What is little understood is that as hearing loss increases incrementally it has huge cognitive and social consequences. As our brain compensates for lost sound comprehension, it literally rewrites the way we hear. Our mind also works overtime to understand conversation and complicated sound environments like busy streets, shops, schools, transportation and restaurants. This cognitive overburden makes people vulnerable to memory and coordination mistakes, and susceptible to mental and social problems like an increased risk of isolation, anxiety and depression. Additionally, the longer it takes for someone to get treatment the harder it is to re-train the brain to process sound and comprehend speech. Approaching treatment early takes a huge weight off of our mental workload, allows us to adapt easier to hearing loss treatment and reduces the risk of associated problems.

 

Signs You Should Get a Hearing Test

Hearing exams are quick, painless and can change your life for the better.  The signs of hearing loss can be subtle, but if you notice symptoms, or someone close to you points them out, it’s probably time to get your hearing checked. Be mindful of the following signs of hearing loss:

* Voices and speech sounding muffled rather than clear

* Turning up volume on televisions, radios, phones and other devices

* Frequently asking people to repeat themselves or speak louder

* Trouble following conversations with more than two people

* Avoiding noisy environments like parties or restaurants because of anxiety around hearing

* Distracting or painful ringing in the ear (tinnitus)

Any of these experiences is a solid indicator that something is affecting your hearing and it is time to have it checked. Even if a problem seems unimportant now, seeking help as early as possible puts you on the path to successfully monitoring and managing your hearing health.

 

Healthy, Wealthy and Wise

Keeping your hearing healthy has been shown to help you live a richer and more fulfilling life. Treating hearing loss lets us maintain the way we understand and communicate with the world through sound. Conversely, losing this connection to others contributes to an increased risk of isolation and dementia in people with untreated hearing impairment. Improved communication ability also affects us in the workplace- those with untreated hearing issues earn, on average, $12,000 less than unimpaired workers.  Our ability to hear our environment with ease brings us a greater sense of awareness and safety. Our hearing is deeply connected to our overall health and when we start caring for it we help protect ourselves from a cascade of related health problems.

 

It’s Never Too Late

Wherever your hearing ability is at, you can begin thinking about your auditory health. Although hearing damage is almost always permanent, hearing aids and other devices make hearing loss a highly treatable condition. Hearing aids have made tremendous strides in the last few decades and have the ability to help people with everything from the first stages of gradual hearing impairment to profound hearing loss to chronic tinnitus.

If you’d like to schedule a hearing test and consult with a hearing specialist, contact us at Desert Valley Audiology. Our highly trained team is happy to help you on your path to hearing wellness.