Hearing loss is a common problem in the United States, with about 15% of the population over the age of 18 suffering some level of hearing impairment. This rate increases with age, and half of those reaching the age of 75 have hearing loss.
Because of the way your brain interprets signals generated by your ears, it’s hard to recognize hearing loss in yourself. Most forms of loss come on slowly, and your brain adapts so that you’re always living with “new” normals as these changes develop.
While hearing tests can detect and diagnose hearing loss, when do you know it’s time to have one, particularly if you don’t easily sense the changes you’re undergoing? At Lawrence Otolaryngology Associates, we’ve got you covered.
When you know what to look for, you may be able to recognize that you can benefit from ear and hearing care.
Hearing loss isn’t a singular problem, nor is the nature of hearing loss the same for all patients. Just as there are varying eyeglass prescriptions, levels of hearing loss differ from person to person.
Conductive hearing loss is a physical problem. Some conditions interfere with the acoustic transmission of sound through the mechanisms of the ear. It might be as simple as a buildup of earwax in the ear canal. Fluid caught in the middle ear is another culprit, as is damage to the tiny, moveable bones connected to the eardrum.
Sensorineural hearing loss takes place from the inner ear to the brain. Tiny hairs within the inner ear structures normally sense certain frequencies and create small signals that travel through the auditory nerve to the brain.
When these hairs suffer damage, you develop gaps in your hearing’s frequency response. This damage occurs for a range of reasons including aging, loud noise exposure, and genetics. You may also have a hearing issue that combines conductive and sensorineural loss.
We’ve prepared this list of indications that it’s time to have your hearing checked by our team of audiologists.
Commonly known as “ringing” in the ears, tinnitus isn’t always a ringing sound. You may hear a hum or buzz. It could sound like traffic in the distance, even when you’re miles from a busy road.
Tinnitus sounds can be constant or intermittent, loud or subtle. Thought to be connected with the damaged hairs that cause hearing loss, tinnitus is a common symptom of hearing loss.
You might find that you avoid conversation with certain people because it’s hard to hear them speak. It might seem that they’re mumbling. You could avoid social situations in busy, loud places when you can no longer focus on individual voices over the noise.
Your response to changing hearing may not be obvious to you, but it can be to others. Watch for comments like “the TV is too loud,” or “didn’t you hear me?” Close family and friends may tell you they think it’s time for you to have a hearing test. Even if you feel there’s nothing wrong, it’s time to consider a test.
As conversations and social situations become difficult, you may sense that you’re increasingly isolated from family and friends as well as society in general. Without treatment, this might lead to depression.
While these are all valid reasons for seeking a hearing test, your own peace of mind is perhaps the best reason. Contemporary hearing assistive devices are discreet, portable, and capable of amazing improvements that make your interaction with the world much easier.
Call or click to book a hearing test with the nearest office of Lawrence Otolaryngology Associates in Lawrence or Ottawa today.
