One of the many signs of aging is hearing loss. Actually, hearing loss can be experienced even by younger adults but unfortunately, almost all seniors get them since they come packaged with all the other age-related afflictions known to us therefore hearing loss is most associated with older adults.
Hearing loss is not an immediate health risk per se. There is no reported case of someone dying from deafness but many are having accidents which some lead to dying due to hearing problems. Due to this fact, it is only safe to consider hearing loss as an immediate threat to senior lives. The intensity of hearing problems can go from mild to severe—the latter being totally deaf. Hearing loss is a very serious condition and can be very embarrassing at times resulting to diminished self-esteem for seniors.
When you feel something is amiss with your hearing, it is best to see a doctor at once so he can better help your with the problem at hand. Seniors should know that hearing loss has different types and extent. These will be considered by your doctor prior to advising seniors of what to do with their hearing problems. Here are some signs that you might want to watch out for:
· Having trouble with telephone calls and would shout when inquiring assuming that this is the right “loudness” for the receiving party.
· It gets hard to follow spontaneous conversation especially when there are 3 individuals involved.
· When you’re watching TV, others are complaining about its loudness which puzzles you since it seemed fine.
· Too much mumbling from other people especially when kids are talking to you.
· Words are harder to understand especially when there is an ongoing background sound.
· You find yourself leaning towards the person you are talking to just to catch whatever he is saying.
· You find yourself reading the words directly from the mouth of the person you are talking to and associating them with the little sound you hear instead of relying with the sounds alone
Hearing problems are best handled by otolaryngologist. Otolaryngologists are doctors specializing in ears, nose and throat. These doctors will assess the damage, extent and type of hearing problem the patient has and will then send the patient to an audiologist, if needed. An audiologist is needed if you’re prescribed to wear hearing aids for your hearing problems.
Aside from aging, some of the known causes of hearing loss are: exposure to loud noises, infections, earwax buildup, medications, hereditary factors and even lifestyle diseases.
