Hearing loss is the third most common health problem in the United States. Hearing loss affects quality of life, self-confidence, and even personal relationships. There are several types of hearing loss, many of which can be resolved with a hearing aid. A hearing aid is a common solution for many Americans. In fact, one in two people age 75+ admit to experiencing hearing loss. To understand if you need a hearing aid, you need to understand what exactly hearing loss is.
What is Hearing Loss?
Hearing loss typically begins at a slow rate and often it goes unnoticed. You may think your spouse is mumbling more and people simply need to speak up. High-pitched sounds, such as female voices, and words with the letters “s” and “f” become mixed up and more difficult to understand. Common hearing loss symptoms include:
- Often misunderstanding what people say
- Confusion with phone conversations
- Believe people are mumbling and not speaking clearly
- Often asking people to repeat what they said
- Confusion deciphering a conversation with multiple people OR when multiple people speak at the same time
- Become impatient and frustrated with conversations
- Have trouble hearing what is said on the television, at the movies or other public gatherings
- Avoid social gatherings and noisy environments
What is a Hearing Aid?
A hearing aid makes sounds louder so that you can hear and understand them. A hearing aid is not a complete correction for the auditory impairment. Instead, it is a piece of technology that amplifies soft noises. It also helps with keeping casual conversations comfortable and loud noises loud – but not uncomfortably so.
A hearing aid can be worn in or behind your ear. It is important to understand that hearing aids do make things sound different so it can take an adjustment period to get used to them. It is better to obtain a hearing aid sooner rather than later when hearing loss occurs. Your brain has to re-learn sounds, and the sooner you obtain one the easier it will be for your brain to adapt to the hearing aid.
There are several online self-assessment quizzes you can take to determine your level of hearing loss. This one is one of our favorites: Unitron Self Assessment.
Are you experiencing hearing loss? Call our office at 801-724-9840 to make an appointment with one of our award-winning doctors. Talk to you soon!