Hearing Loss
Educational information on hearing loss.
What is Hearing Loss?
Hearing loss is the inability to hear certain sounds in one or both ears. For people with moderate hearing loss, hard and soft consonants sounds become inaudible and speech becomes difficult to understand, especially when there is background noise present.
Hearing loss affects about 20% of the U.S. population – around 48 million Americans. Anyone of any age can experience hearing loss, even children. Hearing loss can range in severity, from mild, moderate, moderately severe, severe or profound.
Signs of
Hearing Loss
Hearing loss often occurs gradually, over the course of a few years. For this reason, it can be difficult to recognize the signs. For patients over the age of 60, we recommend having your hearing checked on an annual basis. For individuals under 60, a hearing test is necessary if you work in a loud environment or you have experienced a change in your hearing ability.
Some common signs of hearing loss you should be aware of include:
- You frequently ask people to repeat themselves
- It sounds like everyone mumbles
- It’s difficult to hear when there is background noise
- Sounds seem muffled and speech seems unclear
- You have a hard time hearing the person on the other end of the phone
- You need to turn the TV volume up
- You hear a ringing in your ears (tinnitus)
- You often mishear spoken information
Hearing Loss and Cognition
Hearing is connected to more than just our ears. We rely on our hearing for effective communication and healthy brain function. When left untreated, hearing loss can prevent your brain from receiving the proper sound signals it needs to stay active and healthy. Over time, this can lead to forgetfulness, listening fatigue, and cognitive decline. Research has shown there is a connection between untreated hearing loss and dementia.
Tinnitus
Tinnitus, commonly known as “ringing in the ears,” varies from person to person. Some people experience tinnitus on a constant basis while others only hear the symptoms occasionally. Tinnitus can range from loud to soft, mildly annoying to debilitating. No matter how the symptoms of tinnitus affect you, we can help.
Tinnitus treatments offered at Hearing Solutions include tinnitus masking hearing aids. These hearing aids connect to an app on your smartphone and you can control different ambient noises to help distract your brain from the symptoms of tinnitus. You can live a life free from annoying ringing in the ears. Contact our office today to schedule your appointment.
