You might have noticed a change in your hearing. As we age, our hearing is often impacted, and when you reach 60 it’s likely that you will experience some decline. Of course, hearing loss can impact the young as well, and you can develop issues like this at any age. You can even be born with problems with your hearing. Or, you can develop it later from exposure to loud noises. It’s important to determine whether you have hearing loss and then to explore the severity and your treatment options. First, you need to determine whether you are suffering from hearing loss. How do you do this?

Watch for the signs

There are various signs that would suggest that you are suffering from hearing loss. For instance, you might notice that you can no longer hear as effectively. People speaking, music or the noise from the TV could all seem quieter to you and you might have trouble hearing much of anything at all. However, this is quite rare and usually, hearing loss will occur so gradually that you might not notice it at all yourself.

Instead, it’s more likely that someone in your life will notice a significant change to your hearing. For instance, a partner, family member or friend could point it out to you. This will typically be something simple like the volume on the TV being far too loud for them. It will sound normal to you and it’s at this stage that you might worry something has changed.

Social changes can occur as well. You may not recognize that your hearing has deteriorated but your brain certainly will and it will compensate. During conversations, you may speak louder than usual to compensate for the fact that you are struggling to hear your own voice.

Be aware that balance can also be impacted by a change to your hearing. For instance, you might find that you are struggling to walk in a straight line or tripping up more often. Both could point to a change to your hearing that does need to be addressed.

Sensory changes should also be monitored close such as hearing noises that no one else can or noticing that sounds seem muffled or echoed.

Get an appointment with an audiologist

When you start to notice any of these issues, do make sure that you book an appointment with an audiologist with a company like Audiology and Hearing Solutions. By doing this, you can get your hearing checked out by an expert and they will perform a hearing test to see what’s going on. The hearing test will typically consist of three parts. The first is a questionnaire and medical history to rule out any other potential causes of your hearing issues such as medication. The second will be a listening test where you will be asked to respond to sounds that are played through headphones. The third part will be a physical examination.

At this point, an audiologist will be able to determine whether you have hearing loss and what type of hearing loss you are suffering from. They can typically give a diagnosis at the same appointment.

Understanding types of hearing loss

Your audiologist will explain that there are various types of hearing loss and discuss the issue that you are suffering from. For instance, you could be suffering from temporary hearing loss. Temporary hearing loss could be caused by a range of different issues and may even be triggered by stress. One of the most common causes is a buildup of wax in the ear, blocking the canal when it hardens. This can be fixed with a quick ear clean. Or, it could be due to a growth in your ear which can be surgically removed.

It’s possible that you are suffering from permanent hearing loss caused by damage from loud noise or old age. In either case, this can’t be cured, but your audiologist can recommend treatment options. The typical treatment solution will be hearing aids but the extent of your hearing loss will determine which design is right for you. There are several types to consider, including in-the-ear, in-the-canal and behind-the-ear hearing aids.

Be aware that while hearing loss can be cured with the help of an expert you can get the treatment you need to cope and ensure it doesn’t impact your quality of life. Contact Audiology and Hearing Solutions at (781) 218-2225 to learn more and to get the help and support you need.