People often have trouble admitting to having hearing impairment, especially when they are not particularly old. It is important to remember that hearing loss can occur at any age for a number of reasons, thus it is important to check your hearing periodically to ensure that you are not suffering from hearing loss so that if you are, you can rectify it in time.
Checking for hearing loss starts just after birth. Even newborns are consistently tested to check their hearing abilities before they are discharged from hospital. Children also get their hearing tested in school or at the doctor’s office. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association suggests that adults should test their hearing every ten years until they reach the age of 50, after which it is recommended that they check their hearing after every three years.
Hearing loss occurs gradually over a period of time, thus it can take years before you even begin to realize that you may have a hearing problem. Research indicates that even when people realize they have a hearing problem, only one in five individuals actually seek any form of treatment method to rectify their hearing.
People are mostly unaware of the significant negative impact that hearing loss can have on their daily lives. Multiple psychological and social problems can occur as a result of hearing loss and thus it is important to treat hearing loss in a timely manner. Hearing loss can lead to mental health issues such as Anxiety, Depression, low self-esteem, and even Dementia.
Hearing difficulties can give rise to several lifestyle problems that may seem unrelated to hearing. These problems include sleep disturbances, eating problems, increased stress, physiological problems such as headaches, and fatigue from the constant pressure to try and hear.
Imagine living your life with the mute button on. Imagine that you can see everything around you but you are only able to hear fragments of it, and that too in a distorted, obscure manner. People with hearing loss may be going through similar experiences which can be frustrating, embarrassing, and isolating at the same time. People with hearing loss thus tend to withdraw socially since they feel out of place, and grow more and more upset at their inability to hear and actively participate in conversations at home and at work. This can lead to disrupted interpersonal relationships and cause problems at home and in the workplace.
Educating yourself about hearing health can help you gain awareness and understanding to take care of your hearing needs. Protecting your ears from damage is the most essential manner in which you can prevent hearing loss. You can do this by wearing earplugs before exposing yourself to loud environments such as rock concerts, using heavy-duty machinery or at sports events. You can use earmuffs, custom earplugs or even foam earplugs to help minimize the damage to your ears resulting from prolonged exposure to loud noises.
It is important to be aware of the symptoms of hearing loss so that you can address your hearing needs in a timely fashion as and when necessary. Hearing tests are non-invasive and are completely painless, and a quick and convenient way to check where your hearing abilities lie.
Get your hearing tested periodically and in the event of any viral infection or trauma to the ears, ensure that you test your hearing to see whether it has impacted your hearing. Prevention is always better than the cure, so start early and prevent large costs and hassles in the future.