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If you’re over the age of 60 and struggling to hear, you’re in good company. Age related hearing loss is a normal part of the aging process, and by the time you reach 75, there’s a 2 in 3 chance you’ll have some difficulty hearing. But if hearing loss is so common, why is it undiagnosed and untreated?
Hearing Loss is Undiagnosed
For many seniors, hearing loss is a gradual process that might be hard to notice at first. The brain has an amazing capability to adapt to changing circumstances, and you can easily overlook your hearing loss, or chalk it up to some other circumstance when you do have trouble following a conversation. You might not realize you haven’t heard the birds chirping in a while, or that you’ve started turning up the volume on the TV to compensate for the things you can’t hear.
Family Physicians Don’t Screen for Hearing Loss
Another reason hearing loss is undiagnosed is that family physicians don’t screen for hearing loss. When you visit the doctor it’s to follow up with another concern, and your physician isn’t thinking about your hearing loss. In the quiet of the doctor’s office, where you’re concentrating very hard, it’s also easier to follow what they’re saying, and you might not display any signs of hearing loss to tip off your doctor that you might need to get a hearing test.
Go for an Annual Hearing Test
Since hearing loss is such a common problem, it’s recommended that everyone over the age of 60 goes for an annual hearing test. That way you’ll find out about your hearing loss as soon as your hearing starts deteriorating. It also allows you to create a bond with a hearing specialist, so when you do need hearing aids, you can trust the advice you’re given.
Hearing Loss in Undertreated
When people avoid taking hearing tests, think their doctor will tell them when something’s wrong, or are in denial about their hearing loss, it’s no wonder that hearing loss in undertreated. In fact, only 1 in 3 people who need hearing aids get them!
However, living with untreated hearing loss poses some serious problems. Those who ignore their hearing loss start to experience a lot of negative side effects. When you can’t follow conversations naturally, relationships start to suffer, first at home and then among friends. All the intimate little moments that make life meaningful are taken away from you, as you’re unable to hear what’s been said, or find yourself responding appropriately. Many seniors who suffer from hearing loss become socially isolated, choosing to stay home rather than meeting friends in places with a lot of background noise, or where they get easily confused. Without strong social ties, many develop anxiety, depression, or other mental health illnesses.
Living with untreated hearing loss is also bad for your brain. When you stop using the cells in your brain that help you hear, they die in a tragic case of use it or lose it. Once gone, these cells never regenerate, so even when you do get hearing aids a few years down the road, some sounds will never come back. Those with hearing loss also experience more problems with memory, reduced concentration, and difficulty focusing on tasks. They often have rapid cognitive decline and are more at risk of developing dementia.
Get a Hearing Aid!
Our hearing aids are from the world’s leading manufacturers and are so small no one else will even notice they’re there. Programs and settings are tailored to match your exact hearing loss and hearing needs, so you’ll be able to hear all of the time, in every listening environment. Having trouble talking on the phone? Many of our hearing aids offer connectivity features, allowing you to stream audio from your phone directly to your hearing aids, so you’ll never have to strain to hear again. We’ll be with you every step of the way, from the hearing test to choosing the right device, to fittings and repairs, so join us today!
With all this research about hearing health, why wait! Call us at New Leaf Hearing Clinic to book an appointment for a hearing test and do the right thing for your hearing. Don’t let your hearing loss go undetected or untreated – take charge of your health.