The Importance of Seeing an Audiologist

Are you having to ask others to repeat themselves more frequently, or saying “I can hear but can’t understand” or “Everyone seems to mumble?” If you suspect you may have a hearing loss, you are not alone. If you have suspected it for a while but haven’t got around to doing anything about it, you are not unusual. On average, it takes us seven to 10 years from the time we think we might have a hearing loss to the time we seek treatment.

Other common signs of hearing loss

• Trouble hearing in groups
• Think others mumble
• Problems hearing someone talking from behind or from another room
• Family members frequently complain that the TV volume is too high
• Difficulty hearing on the phone
• Dread going to noisy restaurants and parties

These symptoms are typical and can lead to anxiety, withdrawal, loss of self-esteem and even depression. Also know, untreated hearing loss can increase your risk for developing other health-related problems, including dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

Get a Hearing Test to Know For Sure

As with a decline in eyesight, hearing loss can have a profoundly negative influence on your life. But unlike eyesight, hearing loss can be very subtle. Because of this, regardless of your age, regular hearing examinations by an audiologist are vital. Here are five reasons to visit an audiologist to get help:

1. Improve family relationships. Communication is imperative in the relationships you have with family members. Communication becomes more strenuous; the added effort of listening and repeating can increase stress on those relationships without the intention of doing so.

2. increase earning potential. Untreated hearing loss can make lead to more mistakes and decreased productivity at work. A Better Hearing Institute study found that untreated hearing loss negatively affects household income by $23,000 per year on average. Addressing hearing loss with hearing aids restored lost income by as much as 50 percent.

3. Improve your social life. Whether you notice it or not, hearing problems can hinder relationship building and cause you to retreat from social gatherings. If you know participating in activities or noisy get-togethers make it difficult to hide your hearing loss and choose to stay home, you are letting your hearing loss run your life.

4. Today’s hearing aids are nearly invisible. Technological advancements have made hearing aids smaller and far more discrete. Most manufacturers now offer a range of discreet options that can be worn deep within the ear canal or hidden behind the ear.

5. Today’s hearing aids work better than ever. Manufacturers have worked hard to improve comfort and lessen the annoyances of hearing aids. New hearing aid models virtually eliminate feedback and provide technology that identifies and preserves speech and reduces background noise. With one touch of a button you can adjust the volume on both hearing aids and some hearing aids can even sync directly with your TV, cell phone and music.

If you think you have a hearing loss don’t waste any more time, find a trusted audiologist to help you start your journey to the new you – someone who can hear every word!