You know what it’s like to try to disregard a toothache? They can be pretty tough. After a while, you end up having no other option but to consult a dentist. The same thing occurs when your eyesight starts to lose focus. You’ll probably call an ophthalmologist when you start to have difficulty reading street signs. But the concern is, when your hearing starts to go you might not have such urgency.
And that may be a mistake. Neglected hearing loss can be the reason for considerable health problems (specifically mental problems). Unfortunately, it’s pretty hard to address your diminishing hearing if you don’t know about it. And that’s problem number two.
Indications You May Have Hearing Loss
We often take our hearing for granted. A high volume music event? No big deal.. Blasting ear pods? That’s just how you prefer your podcasts. But every one of those decisions, particularly over time, is going to have a considerable impact on your overall hearing.
Sadly, those impacts might be hard to detect. The signs of hearing loss can be virtually invisible because they sneak up so slowly over time. That’s why it’s a good idea to be familiar with some primary red flags (and to make sure you don’t ignore them):
- You have a hard time falling asleep at night and feel exhausted for no reason
- It’s difficult to understand conversations in noisy or crowded surroundings
- You consistently blow the speakers in your earpods because you need the volume up too loud
- Voices of those near you (friends, family, co-workers) sounds muffled or distorted
- When you listen to casual speech, you have an especially tough time hearing consonants
- You experience sudden problems with short term memory
- You usually have to crank up the volume on your devices
- You regularly need to ask individuals to repeat what they said
It’s pretty well known what these red flags and signs indicate. If your hearing loss comes on particularly slowly, your brain will immediately begin to compensate for any hearing loss that develops, making you somewhat oblivious, at first, to your symptoms. That’s the reason why you should schedule an appointment with your hearing care professional because these warning signs should be taken seriously.
If You Ignore Your Hearing Loss, What Will Happen?
Indeed, some people are very obstinate. Or the idea of wearing hearing aids is just too undesirable. They have this fear that wearing a hearing aid is some sort of immediate marker for old age (as if constantly asking somebody to speak up is a sign of never ending youth). But in reality, most modern hearing aids are virtually undetectable (and it’s helpful when you can understand and engage in conversations).
Nevertheless, it’s worth discussing what could take place if you ignore your hearing loss:
- Your relationships could fray: When you have a tough time understanding what your friends and relatives are saying, something can change in the relationship: you start having fewer interactions with them. You don’t call to say hi, you don’t keep up with what’s happening with them, you withdraw. And that can hurt some of those relationships, especially if the issue is hearing loss that you have kept secret (and not because you’re angry at them).
- Your hearing might worsen: If you don’t utilize hearing aids or enhanced hearing protection, You’ll continue to turn up your devices. Or you’ll keep intending to rock concerts without any earplugs. And your hearing will continue declining as you keep to do harm to your ears.
- You could suffer from depression and cognitive decline: As your relationships falter and going out gets more difficult, you may begin to experience signs of depression. You might also begin to go through some cognitive decline without the auditory stimulation your brain is used to, certain changes begin to take place in your neural physiology. This can lead to long term cognitive problems if your hearing loss isn’t treated.
Hearing Loss Shouldn’t be Neglected
Unmistakably, neglecting your hearing loss can cause bigger and more substantial problems in the future. Conversely, your quality of life can be considerably improved by recognizing and managing your hearing loss. Your every day life is more full and your relationships improve when you begin to hear better. And improving your awareness, either by consulting a hearing specialist or downloading a noise-monitoring app, can improve your complete hearing health.
Hearing loss is certainly a health condition you shouldn’t ignore. The sooner you find the proper treatment, the happier you’ll be. Manage your hearing loss before it gets too severe to ignore.