Hearing Loss
Learn more about the causes and effects of hearing loss.
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What is Hearing Loss?
Hearing loss is the inability to hear or process sound in one or both ears. Hearing loss doesn’t mean the complete absence of sound as it ranges from mild to profound. Many people experience hearing loss, in fact approximately 48 million Americans have some degree of hearing loss. Anyone of any age can experience hearing loss, even children can have hearing loss. It’s important to be proactive about your hearing health by scheduling regular hearing evaluations. Having your hearing evaluated regularly will ensure you catch any signs of hearing loss early.
We recommend having your hearing tested annually, as we age our hearing tends to worsen, naturally.
Hearing and Your Brain
Hearing involves more than just our ears. We don’t hear when sound reaches the ear, but rather when sound travels through the ear to the auditory cortex of the brain. In the brain is where sound is processed into information, which is how we understand what sounds mean and how we remember them. Since we hear with our brain, it’s important to take care of our hearing in order to prevent any decline in cognitive abilities.
When left untreated, hearing loss can have a negative affect on your health and overall well-being. When you can’t hear well because of hearing loss, then your brain isn’t receiving the proper stimulation it needs to remain active and healthy. Over time, your brain will begin to forget certain sounds or frequencies, which can result in cognitive decline and feelings of extreme fatigue. Hearing loss makes it difficult for the brain to understand what is being said, which means it has to work twice as hard just to understand the conversation. This can result in you feeling exhausted after social interactions or emotionally drained. It’s important to manage any signs of hearing loss early by wearing hearing aids. Hearing aids will provide your brain with the sound signals it has been missing. Be proactive against cognitive decline and a loss in speech comprehension by wearing hearing aids. Keep your brain active and healthy and hear your best again.
Signs of Hearing Loss
Hearing loss often occurs gradually, over the course of a few years. This can make it difficult to detect because as you lose your hearing your brain adjusts to not hearing certain sounds anymore. We recommend having your hearing tested annually so we can catch any hearing losses early. If you suspect you have hearing loss, then come in for a comprehensive hearing test. We will be able to diagnose the exact type and degree of hearing loss you have. We will go over your options for managing hearing loss and get you back on track to hearing your best again.
Below are some common signs of hearing loss. If any of the signs below apply to you, then consider contacting us to make an appointment.
- Sounds seem muffled
- You have a hard time hearing when there is background noise present
- You have trouble hearing consonants
- It seems like the people in your life mumble
- You frequently ask people to repeat themselves
- You have to turn the TV volume up louder than others like
- Certain words are difficult to hear
- Women and children’s voices are difficult to hear
- Your family or friends have suggested you have your hearing tested
