The thought of living without one of the five senses is pretty scary. Thankfully, for the most part, they stay intact for most of a person’s life. Still, that doesn’t mean that they are as on point as ever, especially hearing. As you age, it will likely become apparent that your hearing isn’t as sharp as before. For many people, hearing loss can be uncomfortable and impact their lifestyle. If you don’t want this is to happen, then it’s essential to be proactive as possible by learning what to do when the signs appear later on.
Don’t play dumb
Making excuses is easy. Indeed, losing a sense is so scary that justification is the first go-to for many people. “It’s a buildup of wax” or “I’m just not concentrating” are the kinds of things you can expect to think and say.
But, if you know these statements aren’t true, there’s no reason to play dumb as it will only harm your health in the long run. Instead, accept the fact that your ears aren’t as sharp as they used to be and head to a doctor’s office.
The expert can start to evaluate your hearing and might suggest an audiology clinic to help with your hearing loss. While they might not be able to repair the damage, they can use technology to improve your hearing. Plus, the specialists can also inform you of ways to prevent the situation from escalating.
Buy a hearing loss aid
One piece of tech synonymous with hearing loss is a hearing aid. Thankfully, the specialists in labs are constantly updating the technology so that people with hearing problems don’t have to suffer any longer.
But, the only way to utilize the tech is to buy one. That seems like an obvious choice, yet people avoid them. For instance, they might not like the way they look or the impression they give off.
Once you do get one, try and keep it in good condition because a broken hearing aid isn’t useful. By cleaning it and removing the wax, it can last for a long time. As with most personal devices, it requires maintenance.
Turn down the decibels
As soon as you accept that hearing loss is a problem, start to alter your lifestyle. The main thing here is to lower the decibel levels.
Sound waves are a part of life, from listening to music to watching the TV. However, high-pitched waves can damage the middle and inner ear even more and cause further harm.
Yep, you guessed it – that means loud noises. And noise-induced hearing loss is rising. Don’t worry, you don’t have to eliminate noise from your life altogether, but do make sure it isn’t at levels that potentially harm the ears.
See the signs of hearing loss
This final point is the crutial one. After all, the above information is pointless if you can’t see the signs of auditory deterioration in the first place.
Common signs of hearing loss include:
- Speech sounds quiet or muffled
- Consonants are hard to hear
- Stay away from social environments
- Often asking others to repeat themselves
So, understanding that your hearing isn’t as strong as before is essential. To find out, get a test from a medical professional. But, if the idea of going to the doctor doesn’t appeal, there are several free ear tests available online. I simply searched “homemade hearing test” and found several options.
Whether your hearing loss is from age or is noise-related, seeing a specialist can help get you the treatment to be able to enjoy sounds clearly again. And that improvement can make for a much happier life.
Thanks for always being a guide and guard for many out here. Keep impacting our lives…
To be appreciated is a glorious thing, Sir JP! So great to see you here
This is sound advice Christy! Thanks for sharing.
While age-related problems cannot be avoided, turning down the decibels and catching the early signs could be really helpful.
I’m at this crossroads now with my husband who insists he can hear fine (as his TV blares loud), but I know I must speak louder and call out to him a few times til he hears me. Stubbornness and pride is also something I have to deal delicately with. <3
I might have poor eyesight, but I’ve always taken my hearing for granted. Thanks for the tips, Christy!
You know, wearing glasses used to be an embarrassment. Now, it’s so fashionable, I know people who have 20/20 vision, but they wear glasses as a fashion accessory. Perhaps if hearing aids were stylish, like ear plugs we use for music, they could become fashionable, too. Just thinking out loud.
I have often thought that when the young folks who, habitually wear earphones with their tunes blasting, will likely have more hearing problems as they get older than other generations. I have a pair of wireless ones synced to my iPhone that I use when I walk. I love the sound I get and I keep the volume down, but I still wonder if that concentrated sound isn’t doing harm. My wife Anne was born with 75% hearing loss and it has deteriorated to 99.9% now. She has the most powerful hearing aid on the market in her right ear and that gives her about 10%. She is a proficient lip-reader, but as her eyesight deteriorates with age, she has more trouble lip-reading. She has never allowed her disability to stop her from living her life to the fullest. The best way to motivate her is to tell her she can’t do something… then get the heck out of the way! Great article, Christy!
You would think common sense would lead people to choosing quality of life over vanity.
Very profound and important advises Christy!!
Thanks, a lot!
Thank you so much for this! ❤️❤️ I’m hearing impaired, likely going very nearly deaf. My hearing loss is a genetic-related autoimmune condition. I first noticed it at age 21, when I began to mess up names and words that sounded similar. My dad and his father had had the same thing, but I didn’t know mine would start setting in so young.
Not knowing about the nature of it, I chocked it up to having worked in noisy environments and having had ear infections from infancy to age 19.
When I was 30, I noticed a sharper decline, and figured it was a buildup of wax, so I got an ear cleaning kit from the local drug store and used it. Thinking my problem would clear up. But it didn’t. I had a prof in med school look in my ears and make sure I had cleaned them completely. I had.
So I went for the testing, which revealed a reverse-bell-curve shape of hearing loss. I was certified partially disabled by the state, which paid for my first set of hearing aids, at age 33. I only really need to wear them at conferences and lectures.
At home, I use closed captioning on the TV. We have labeled our DVDs with colored stickers: green means it’s outfitted with CC; yellow means no CC, but subtitles for deaf and hard of hearing (SDH); red means neither, so we watch those during the day when we can jack the volume up lol.
Once again, I thank you for writing another amazing and informative post! 👏🏼👏🏼❤️👍🏼💓
Good advice, Christy. I’ve yet to understand why hearing aids aren’t covered by health insurance. Do they not think hearing is necessary? Aids can be so expensive.