If you’ve ever been told, “You just had to be there,” you’ll know that some things in life can’t be explained. Hearing loss is one of those things. If you want to get a glimpse into what life for your hearing-impaired loved one, friend, or work colleague is like, watch this video that demonstrates a progressive loss of hearing:
So how did you find that? Was it even remotely enjoyable to watch that clip by the end of it?
Now imagine dealing with a hearing loss not just when you’re watching TV but when you’re at work, at home, and out and about.
Here are just a few of the often overlooked consequences of hearing loss:
Stressed out and tensed up
A day at work where you can’t hear what your colleagues are saying suddenly becomes a minefield of making sure you don’t say the wrong thing and sound like you aren’t on the ball or even offend someone. It’s a recipe for stress and all the physical consequences that come with chronic stress such as high blood pressure and disturbed sleep.
Insecurity and embarrassment
Whether you’re out with friends or in a meeting at work, speaking with any level of confidence becomes impossible when you don’t really understand what is being said around you. Perhaps the first few times you ask someone to repeat themselves but then it just becomes embarrassing to keep asking.
Brain drain
When you can’t hear properly, the nerves in your brain that process those sounds start to wither. It’s like going from being a gym goer to being a couch potato. Your muscles just give up and the next time you go to the gym it is so much harder to work out. The same goes when your brain doesn’t get stimulated by all the sounds you’re meant to be hearing.
Frustration, exhaustion, and, isolation
All day long, you’ve been missing conversations, struggling to keep up, and now that you’re home, you are exhausted. Exhaustion combined with the frustrations of the day means you aren’t the best company. And truth be told, you’re too tired to strain to hear yet another conversation, so you start to avoid your family altogether.
Aches and pains
Hearing loss often results in headaches and when those headaches don’t let up, the pain can radiate down into the neck, back, and shoulders.
How can all of this be avoided?
By visiting an audiologist.
An audiologist diagnoses and treats hearing and balance disorders. They spend 6 years training to do just this, obtaining undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, as well as considerable on the job experience before they finally become licensed to practice.
At North Houston Hearing Solutions LLC, our highly skilled audiologists are on hand to help those with hearing loss get to the bottom of their hearing problems and most importantly get the treatment they need.
We’ve seen the life-changing effects of fitting hearing aids for our clients countless times. Research backs this up, with studies showing that 90% of people report a better quality of life after just 3 months of using their hearing aids.
If you’re worried you have a hearing loss or are concerned about a loved one’s hearing, get in touch with our audiologists today.
