It’s important to talk to your primary care provider about your hearing health, especially as you get older. Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear as though enough people do.
A recent poll reports that 80% of Americans over 50 said their primary care provider hadn’t asked about their hearing in the last two years.
Next time you’re at your doctor’s office, make the time to discuss any hearing-related issues you might have, as early diagnosis and treatment for hearing loss have numerous benefits.
Improve Your Ability To Communicate at Work and at Home
Hearing loss makes it difficult to follow conversations and understand speech, especially in louder or busier environments. This negatively impacts your ability to communicate wherever you are. At work, it may make things like company meetings, phone conversations with customers, or even catching up with your coworkers harder to participate in. This can increase your stress levels and even impair your job performance.
Communication issues may be even more prevalent at home. Many people with hearing loss find that they have more frequent misunderstandings with their spouse or other loved ones. This can lead to hurt feelings and frustration on both sides and put a strain on relationships.
Treating your hearing loss with hearing aids or other assistive listening devices makes communication easier and strengthens your relationships with your loved ones.
Avoid Missing the Sounds You Love
Hearing loss can affect your ability to enjoy the sounds you love, particularly if they are higher in frequency. You may struggle to hear the birds chirping outside your window or it might become harder to enjoy listening to your favorite songs. Because children have higher-pitched voices, it may be harder to talk with your grandchildren about school or their last soccer match.
Have the Confidence To Try New Things
When you feel confident in your ability to navigate the world and process the sounds around you, you’re more likely to try new things. Whether it’s joining a book club or taking a continuing education class at Collin College, hearing aids can help you continue to challenge yourself and try new things.
Protect Your Health
Untreated hearing loss may increase your risk of certain health conditions. These include a higher risk of:
- Anxiety and depression
- Balance issues and injuries from falls
- Cognitive decline and dementia
Using hearing aids can help reduce your risk of these conditions and keep you healthier, happier and improve your overall quality of life.
If you would like to schedule an appointment for a hearing test or have other hearing-related concerns, contact the experts at Sharp Hearing – The Audiology Center today.
