Your Hearing Loss Shouldn’t be Ignored

Woman stubbornly refusing to have her hearing checked even though her daughter is insisting she has hearing loss.

Have you ever tried to ignore a toothache? It can be pretty hard. After a while, you end up having no other option but to see a dentist. The same thing occurs when your eyesight begins to blur. When you have difficulties reading street signs, you’ll likely make an appointment with an ophthalmologist. But the issue is, when your hearing starts to go you may not show such urgency.

This would more than likely be an oversight. Neglected hearing loss can be the reason for significant health concerns (especially mental problems). Regrettably, it’s pretty difficult to address your diminishing hearing if you don’t know about it. And there you have the second problem.

You Might Have Hearing Loss if You Detect These Symptoms

We commonly don’t appreciate our hearing. A loud performance? No big deal.. Blasting ear pods? You like to listen to your podcasts this way. But your overall hearing will be considerably impacted by all of these choices, particularly in the long run.

It can, regrettably, be difficult to detect these impacts. The signs of hearing loss can be almost invisible because they creep up so slowly over time. So you should take some time to learn some primary red flags (and to be certain you don’t neglect them):

  • You have a difficult time falling asleep at night and feel fatigued for no apparent reason
  • When you’re in a crowded noisy situation you have a difficult time following conversations
  • You have an especially hard time making out consonants when listening to everyday speech
  • You encounter unexpected problems with short term memory
  • You usually need to crank up the volume on your devices
  • Voices of those near you (family, co-workers, friends) sounds dull or distorted
  • You can’t maintain a set of earbuds because you keep blowing the speakers
  • You regularly have to ask individuals to repeat what they said

These signs, red flags, or warnings are all fairly well known. At first, you will be somewhat ignorant of your symptoms, especially if they come on slowly, because your brain will immediately start to compensate. That’s the reason why all of these warning signs should be taken seriously, which means you need to make an appointment to see your hearing specialist.

What Going to Happen if You Ignore Your Hearing Loss?

Indeed, some individuals are very stubborn. Or they simply don’t like the idea of wearing a hearing aid. They have this fear that wearing a hearing aid is some sort of direct sign for old age (as if constantly asking somebody to speak up is a sign of unending youth). But that isn’t really the situation (the majority of hearing aids can be very discreet, and being able to converse fluently is a benefit, too).

Still, if you ignore hearing loss it may lead to several problems:

  • Your hearing could get worse: If you don’t utilize hearing aids or increased ear protection, you’ll keep cranking the volume on your television higher. Or you’ll keep going to rock shows without any earplugs. Which means you’ll continue doing harm to your ears and your hearing will almost definitely continue to decline because of it.
  • You could have strained relationships: There’s something that occurs when you have a difficult time comprehending your friends and family: you avoid speaking with them. You stop calling to say hi, you don’t keep up with what’s happening with them, you withdraw. And that can ruin some of those relationships, especially if the problem is hearing loss that you have kept secret (and not some unspoken bitterness).
  • Cognitive decline and depression could result: You may begin to discover signs of depression as your relationships fizzle and going out becomes more challenging. You might also begin to go through some cognitive decline if your brain doesn’t get the auditory stimulation that it’s used to, certain changes start to take place in your neural physiology. This can lead to long term cognitive challenges if your hearing loss isn’t treated.

Hearing Loss Shouldn’t be Neglected

Unmistakably, neglecting your hearing loss can cause bigger and more substantial issues down the road. Conversely, your quality of life can be substantially improved by acknowledging and dealing with your hearing loss. Your daily life is more full and your relationships get better when you begin to hear better. And your general health will be improved by seeing a hearing specialist or at least downloading a noise monitoring app.

You definitely shouldn’t ignore the health problem of hearing loss. The sooner you find the proper treatment, the happier you’ll be. Don’t wait until the proverbial toothache gets too painful to ignore.

The site information is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. To receive personalized advice or treatment, schedule an appointment.