Have you ever attempted to ignore a toothache? They can be pretty tough. At some point, you end up having no choice but to see a dentist. The same thing occurs when your eyesight begins to lose focus. You’ll most likely call an ophthalmologist when you begin to have difficulty reading street signs. But the issue is, when your hearing begins to go you might not show as much urgency.
This would more than likely be a mistake. Untreated hearing loss can be responsible for considerable health problems (especially mental problems). Obviously, you can only neglect your diminishing hearing if you’re actually aware of it. And there’s the second problem.
You Could Have Hearing Loss if You Detect These Symptoms
We normally don’t appreciate our hearing. A high volume music festival? No biggie. Blasting ear pods? You like to listen to your podcasts like this. But every one of those choices, especially in the long run, will have a considerable affect on your overall hearing.
Regrettably, those impacts might be hard to notice. The signs of hearing loss can be almost invisible because they sneak up so slowly over time. So you should take some time to educate yourself on some basic red flags (and to make sure you don’t ignore them):
- You find yourself asking individuals around you to repeat what they said frequently
- It’s challenging to follow conversations in noisy or crowded surroundings
- You feel an unexplained sense of fatigue or have significant trouble falling asleep at night
- You have a particularly difficult time making out consonants when listening to everyday speech
- You usually have to turn up the volume on your devices
- You notice sudden problems with short term memory
- Speech of those near you (friends, family, co-workers) sounds dull or distorted
- You consistently blow the speakers in your earpods because you need the volume up too high
It’s fairly well known what these red flags and signs indicate. If your hearing loss comes on particularly gradually, your brain will instantly begin to compensate for any hearing loss that develops, making you somewhat oblivious, at first, to your symptoms. That’s the reason why you should make an appointment with your hearing care professional because these warning signs should be taken seriously.
What Happens if You Ignore Your Hearing Loss?
Some individuals are, indeed, stubborn. Or the idea of wearing hearing aids is just too unwelcome. They think that wearing hearing aids causes them to look old. But that isn’t actually the situation (most hearing aids can be very discreet, and being able to converse fluently is a benefit, also).
Still, it’s worth talking about what might occur if you neglect your hearing loss:
- Your hearing might worsen: If you don’t utilize hearing aids or enhanced ear protection, You’ll continue to turn up your devices. Or you won’t use earplugs when you go to rock concerts. And your hearing will keep diminishing as you continue doing damage to your ears.
- You may have strained relationships: There’s something that happens when you have a hard time comprehending your friends and relatives: you stop talking to them. You quit saying hi, you quit checking in, you distance yourself. Some of those relationships will be ruined, specifically if the problem is hearing loss that you have kept secret (and not some unexpressed animosity).
- You could suffer from cognitive decline and depression: As your relationships falter and going out gets more challenging, you might begin to detect symptoms of depression. You may also start to go through some mental decline without the auditory stimulation your brain is used to, certain changes begin to take place within your neural physiology. If your hearing loss isn’t dealt with, it can bring about longterm cognitive challenges.
Don’t Ignore Your Hearing Loss
Unmistakably, neglecting your hearing loss can cause bigger and more substantial problems later on. But the opposite is true: acknowledging and treating your hearing loss can enhance your quality of life significantly. Your daily life is more full and your relationships get better when you start to hear better. And improving your awareness, either by seeing a hearing specialist or downloading a noise-monitoring app, can improve your overall hearing health.
Hearing loss is certainly a health condition you shouldn’t neglect. The sooner you find the correct treatment, the happier you’ll be. Don’t wait until the proverbial toothache becomes too painful to ignore.