Hearing loss is likely more common than you might expect. Around 30 million people over the age of 12 have some level of hearing loss in both ears. On top of that, hearing typically degrades for everyone as they grow older.
Of course, some hearing loss is a very different animal than serious hearing loss. With serious hearing loss, you experience a meaningful loss in quality of life as everything from watching television to casual conversations becomes a challenge.
For many, hearing aids provide a means to improve your life after significant hearing loss. Not sure if you should consider hearing aids? Keep reading for five telling signs that you may need hearing aids.
1. People Sound Like They’re Mumbling
All sounds happen at a frequency. In most cases, the first part of hearing that starts to go is your ability to make out high-frequency sounds. Unfortunately, consonants typically fall in the higher frequency range, which means you only catch vowel sounds.
That translates as mumbling. Making things worse, most women and children naturally speak at higher frequencies. So, it can make understanding a spouse, friends, and grandchildren more difficult.
2. Phone Woes
Phone conversations can challenge people with good hearing. Phones can distort sounds or pick up background noises from the other end. On top of that, you only get that audio information through one ear.
Put all that together with hearing loss and every call becomes a guessing game. If that sounds familiar, you may want to get hearing aids.
3. Background Noise Kills Conversations
One of the most common signs that your ear health is in decline is that background noise seems to drown out nearby conversations. You may experience it in a busy restaurant or even at the workplace if there is an open-office design.
4. Fatigue
You may not realize it, but hearing loss can actually trigger fatigue. You spend more and more time straining physically and mentally to decipher conversations, which tires you out. Getting hearing aids can actually boost improve your health a little by reducing that persistent tiredness.
5. People Complain about the Volume Level
As your hearing starts to go, you may find yourself turning up the volume on your TV or radio to hear the dialogue or music. If people complain at you about the volume level, though, it’s a sign that you’re not hearing it as well as they hear it.
Can Hearing Aids Improve Your Life?
Some hearing loss is normal as you age and people routinely compensate for it.
At a certain point, though, you start missing out on critical information when people speak. It can even leave you feeling fatigued. That can affect your ability to work, to say nothing about your overall quality of life.
Getting hearing aids can improve your life by helping restore your ability to hear clearly. You miss less information. You also tax your body and mind less trying to understand.
Looking for more tips on health help? Check out the Health & Fitness posts in our Lifestyle section.
