Hearing Loss
Understand Hearing Loss and What Your Options Are
What is Hearing Loss?
Hearing loss is not the absence of sound, but when sounds seem muffled or unclear. It can range from mild to severe and can affect people of all ages, even young adults and children. The most common type of hearing loss, sensorineural, affects the inner ear and occurs gradually. For this reason, many people don’t notice the signs until significant time has passed and their loss has gotten worse.
Many people don’t realize it, but hearing loss affects much more than just the ears. When left untreated, it can affect communication, confidence, balance, brain health, and can even be an early indicator of other health conditions, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, or diabetes. If you’ve noticed changes in your hearing, no matter how small they may seem, it’s important to have your hearing examined. Catching the signs early is key to preserving your hearing ability.
Signs of Hearing Loss
- You can hear but you lack clarity
- It’s difficult to hear when there is background noise (i.e., in a restaurant)
- Voices seem muffled or like others are mumbling
- It’s hard to hear when the speaker isn’t facing you or there are multiple speakers
- You need the volume turned up louder than others like
- You hear a ringing in your ears (tinnitus)
- You feel tired after conversations (listening fatigue)
Why It’s Important to Preserve Your Hearing
Your hearing is a crucial sense and part of your overall health. Your brain relies on your hearing to receive the proper stimulation to stay active and healthy. Because of this, it’s important to do what you can to protect your hearing, so you don’t experience any loss in cognitive abilities or speech comprehension as you age.
While sensorineural hearing loss, hearing impairment due to age, cannot always be prevented, there are certain steps you can take to preserve your hearing. These include:
- Avoid loud noise exposure
- Wear hearing protection
- Don’t stick objects in your ears
- Be mindful of the volume around you
- Take care of any circulatory disorders
- Have your hearing examined on a yearly basis
Following these steps is a great way to reduce your chances of developing hearing loss and taking care of your health. Although hearing loss can’t always be avoided, you may be able to reduce your risk.
Hearing Loss in Children
Children can experience hearing loss at any point, from birth to later in childhood. Your child’s hearing plays a crucial role in their social, emotional, and cognitive development. Even a mild or partial hearing loss can affect your child’s ability to develop speech and language properly. It’s important to be proactive about your child’s hearing health in order to provide them with the resources necessary for success by visiting an experienced audiologist in Lexington, SC.