You know what it’s like to attempt to disregard a toothache? They can be quite tough. Before long, you end up having no other option but to consult a dentist. The same thing happens when your eyesight begins to blur. You’ll most likely call an ophthalmologist when you start to have difficulty reading street signs. The trouble is, you might not show nearly as much urgency when your hearing begins to go.
And that could be an oversight. Neglected hearing loss can be the reason for significant health issues (particularly mental problems). Naturally, you can only ignore your diminishing hearing if you’re actually aware of it. And that’s difficulty number two.
Signs You May Have Hearing Loss
We commonly 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 considerably impacted by all of these decisions, especially over time.
Sadly, those impacts might be hard to notice. The signs of hearing loss can be almost invisible because they sneak up so slowly over time. That’s why it’s a smart idea to be familiar with some primary red flags (and to be certain you don’t neglect them):
- You have an especially hard time hearing consonants when listening to everyday speech
- You feel an unexplained sense of exhaustion or have excessive trouble falling asleep at night
- It’s hard to follow conversations in loud or crowded surroundings
- You experience sudden problems with short term memory
- You can’t maintain a set of earbuds because you keep blowing the speakers
- You regularly need to ask individuals to repeat what they said
- You usually need to crank up the volume on your devices
- Distorted or dull sounding voices from people around you (family, co-workers, friends)
It’s fairly well recognized what these red flags and signs mean. If your loss of hearing comes on particularly slowly, your brain will immediately start compensating for any hearing loss that occurs, making you somewhat oblivious, at first, to your symptoms. That’s the reason why you should schedule an appointment with your hearing care specialist because these warning signs should be taken seriously.
What Going to Happen if You Neglect Your Hearing Loss?
Indeed, some people are very obstinate. Or the idea of wearing hearing aids is simply too unwelcome. They believe that wearing hearing aids makes them look old. But that’s not actually the situation (the majority of hearing aids can be very discreet, and being capable of conversing fluently is a benefit, too).
Still, if you ignore hearing loss it could lead to numerous problems:
- You could have tense relationships: There’s something that happens when you have a hard time comprehending your friends and relatives: you begin having fewer conversations with them. You stop calling to say hi, you don’t keep up with what’s going on with them, you disengage. And that can ruin some of those relationships, particularly if the issue is hearing loss that you have kept secret (and not some unspoken animosity).
- Your hearing may worsen: If you don’t use hearing aids or enhanced hearing protection, you’ll keep turning the volume on your television up. Or you won’t use earplugs when you attend rock concerts. And your hearing will continue diminishing as you continue doing damage to your ears.
- You could go through cognitive decline and depression: You might start to discover signs of depression as your relationships falter and going out gets more challenging. You might also start to experience some mental decline if your brain doesn’t get the auditory stimulation that it’s used to, certain changes start to take place within your neural physiology. If your hearing loss isn’t treated, it can bring about longterm cognitive challenges.
Don’t Ignore Your Hearing Loss
Unmistakably, neglecting your hearing loss can cause bigger and more significant issues later on. But the opposite is true: acknowledging and treating your hearing loss can enhance your quality of life substantially. Your daily life is more full and your relationships improve when you start to hear better. And your overall health will be enhanced by consulting a hearing specialist or at least downloading a noise monitoring app.
You absolutely shouldn’t neglect the health concern of hearing loss. A happier life begins when you find the proper treatment. Take care of your hearing loss before it gets too severe to ignore.