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Hearing loss is a condition that affects millions upon millions of people. Some statistics have it as high as 48 million Americans, or 20 percent of the population, that has some kind of problem with their hearing, however minor. Only a small percentage of those people seek treatment.
This means that untreated hearing loss is something of an epidemic in the United States. This is a major problem due to the fact that untreated hearing loss can have major negative impacts on the lives of those who suffer from it.
Signs of Hearing Problems
There are many signs that you can look for that could be a sign of a hearing issue. These include the following:
- Repetition- If you find that you have to repeat what you say to people over and over again like they never seem to understand you, this could be explainable by having a hearing problem that makes it hard for you to properly understand them.
- Mumblers Are Everywhere: Another possibility is that you find that people are mumbling around you all the time. It may seem like others aren’t speaking clearly, but the truth could actually be that it’s you have the hearing issue instead.
- Alarm Clocks Don’t Wake You Up: Again, it’s possible that this is due to a hearing problem. If you just don’t hear the clock when it goes off, then you could be sleeping through it all the time for that reason.
- Movies Are Hard to Hear-If you have trouble understanding what’s happening in a movie, this could be another sign that you have a potential hearing issue.
Other things to consider include whether you feel embarrassed about not being able to understand people. You should think about whether you’re drifting away from activities you used to like participating in because it’s just too hard to interact since you don’t know what people are saying and you can’t be a part of it anymore.
Consequences of Untreated Hearing Loss
These are important questions to ask yourself due to the fact that you can have many bad things happen to you due to your hearing problem. Those who have hearing issues can suffer financially, for example, due to the fact that they can’t fully participate in their workplace and be as productive as they would like.
They also tend to suffer social consequences due to being more timid about being around people and meeting their friends and family. This has a negative effect on their lives. There’s the mental or psychological toll as well, as they start to lose confidence and feel depressed or anxious due to the fact that they can’t do what they want to do anymore and they can’t hear what other people are saying.
There’s often a physical toll due to anxiety making it harder for them to take care of their bodies, and the fact that hearing problems can potentially cause other issues, including at least those that are psychological in nature.
Treating Hearing Problems
Unfortunately, many hearing issues have the problem of not having a cure. This doesn’t mean that they can’t be treated, however. The way to treat hearing issues is to immediately seek out a specialist like an audiologist. They will do some tests to see what the nature of the problem is, and if it’s not something that comes with a cure, which is often the case, they will start fitting you for a hearing aid.
Once you get your new hearing aids, the idea will be to make sure that you learn how to use it correctly It can take some adaptation and time to get used to it. However, once you are used to it, you should be able to hear everyone just fine again. This will make it so that your life returns to normal again.
You may be surprised just how much you may have been missing while you were suffering from auditory loss! However, not that you have a new way to hear better, your life should improve immensely.
The Hearing Doctor
If you’ve noticed changes in your hearing and are struggling with communication, contact us today. We provide comprehensive hearing health services and we’re here to help!