The world has revolved around the sun once again, meaning 2023 is upon us. With the shortest and often coldest days of the year comes a great time to look inward to see what we’d like to improve for the future. The most common new year’s resolutions often revolve around improving relationships or getting more active. What if we told you that you could achieve all of these by addressing a potential hearing loss?
Understanding Hearing Loss
Hearing loss is the third most common health condition in the United States and becomes more common as we age. One in three 65 years and older suffer hearing loss and this number climbs to one in two for those 75 years and older. Hearing loss can occur at any age, especially for those exposed to loud noise through headphones, loud concerts, sporting events and night clubs—however the risk rises exponentially once we reach 50 and beyond. Years of unsafe listening habits can build up into irreversible hearing loss. For this reason, we recommend hearing loss every three years for those 50 years, graduating to annual exams once you hit 60.
The Importance of Detecting Hearing Loss Early
Hearing loss is often underestimated for its severe impact on your life. What starts as subtle misunderstandings can over time develop into rifts in the relationships in your home, impact your earnings at work, cause chronic depression, social isolation, cognitive decline, and a general sense of diminished independence. It can be hard to catch the signs of hearing loss and even when you do, it’s easy to live in denial and procrastinate around treatment. However, acting early can help to limit the impact on your life in serious ways.
Signs of Hearing Loss
Do you find you are asking people “What did you say?” more often than not? Here are a few common signs it may be time to get your hearing tested.
- People sound like they are mumbling
- You struggle to hear people with higher pitched voices indicating a high frequency hearing loss
- Your ears periodically ring (tinnitus)
- People in your household complain that you have the TV turned up too loud when it sounds just fine to you.
- You struggle to hear over the phone.
Staying Active by Addressing Hearing Loss
When our hearing starts to decline, it’s not just a communication issue- but one which affects our mobility. We hear with two ears, also known as binaural hearing to help us understand the direction, proximity and approaching speed of sounds. This is called localization. When sounds come from the left, our left ear picks it up and the same is true for the right. It’s common for one ear to decline faster than the other and this creates what is known as a “head shadow “as sound struggles to reach the brain from the appropriate direction.
This can make it incredibly disorienting to navigate everyday spaces. We can be more likely to miss warning sounds and cues in our environment which would otherwise help us avoid obstacles. For this reason, people with untreated hearing loss are more likely to experience accidents or falls which often lead to hospitalization. This impacts independence and mobility, making many less active and more open to a sedentary life. However, those who address their hearing loss have a greater chance of experiencing a life of regular exercise, improving overall mood and health.
Impact on Relationships
When we struggle to hear it doesn’t happen in a bubble. Those who love you will notice you are grappling with what they are saying and that you are more distant than before. However, they may not identify it as hearing loss, but instead mistake it as you not being interested in what they have to say. This can build serious resentment over years, however when you take the leap towards addressing a hearing loss, you start the path towards patching rifts and rebuilding important relationships.
Treating Hearing Loss
Investing in your hearing is one of the greatest gifts you can give not only to yourself this holiday season but those who care for you. For 2023, contact us to schedule your next hearing exam and start this year out on a healing path.