You know what it’s like to try to ignore a toothache? It can be very hard. Sooner or later, you’re unquestionably pleading to go to the dentist. The same thing takes place when your eyesight begins to lose focus. When you have problems reading street signs, you’ll likely schedule a consultation with an ophthalmologist. But the issue is, when your hearing starts to go you might not have as much urgency.
This would most likely be an oversight. Untreated hearing loss can be the reason for significant health issues (especially mental problems). Unfortunately, it’s pretty difficult to address your diminishing hearing if you aren’t aware of it. And there’s the second problem.
Indications You Could Have Hearing Loss
We normally don’t appreciate our hearing. A high volume music event? No big deal.. Blaring ear pods? That’s just how you enjoy your podcasts. But your overall hearing will be significantly impacted by all of these decisions, particularly over time.
Regrettably, those impacts could be difficult to notice. The symptoms of hearing loss can be almost invisible because they sneak up so slowly over time. So you should take some time to learn some basic red flags (and to be certain you don’t neglect them):
- You find yourself asking people around you to repeat themselves frequently
- You have a difficult time falling asleep at night and feel exhausted for no apparent reason
- Your short term memory seems to suddenly fail sometimes
- Speech of those near you (family, co-workers, friends) sounds muffled or distorted
- You have a particularly difficult time making out consonants when listening to everyday speech
- It’s difficult to understand conversations in loud or crowded surroundings
- You usually have to crank up the volume on your devices
- You consistently blow the speakers in your earpods because you have the volume up too loud
These symptoms, red flags, or warnings are all rather well known. At first, you will be somewhat ignorant of your symptoms, especially if they come on gradually, because your brain will immediately start to compensate. That’s the reason why any of these warning signs should be taken seriously, which means you need to make an appointment to see your hearing professional.
If You Neglect Your Hearing Loss, What Will Happen?
Indeed, some individuals are very stubborn. Or they simply don’t favor the idea of wearing a hearing aid. They think that wearing hearing aids makes them look old. But that’s not really the case (the majority of hearing aids can be quite discreet, and being capable of conversing fluently is a boon, too).
Nevertheless, it’s worth discussing what might take place if you neglect your hearing loss:
- Your hearing might get worse: Without a hearing aid or enhanced ear 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 continue doing harm to your ears.
- You could have tense relationships: There’s something that occurs when you have a difficult time understanding your friends and relatives: you begin having fewer conversations with them. You stop saying hi, you quit checking in, you pull away. And that can hurt some of those relationships, particularly if no one has any clue that the underlying cause is loss of hearing (and not some unexpressed bitterness).
- You could go through cognitive decline and depression: You might start to discover symptoms of depression as your relationships falter and going out becomes harder. You might also begin to go through some cognitive decline if your brain doesn’t get the auditory stimulation that it’s used to, your neural physiology begins to experience specific changes. If your hearing loss isn’t addressed, it can bring about longterm cognitive worries.
Hearing Loss Shouldn’t be Ignored
In the future, clearly, bigger and more substantial issues can be caused by hearing loss. But the opposite is true: acknowledging and managing your hearing loss can improve your quality of life significantly. When you can hear, your relationships get better and your every day life seems more full. And your general health will be enhanced by seeing a hearing specialist or at least downloading a noise monitoring app.
You absolutely shouldn’t ignore the health problem of hearing loss. A happier life begins when you find the proper treatment. Deal with your hearing loss before it gets too severe to ignore.