Admitting to the fact that you’re suffering from hearing loss can be difficult. As a society, we have been trained to see hearing loss as a disability or a sign of old age. However, millions of people around the world are hard of hearing or even deaf, and live perfectly normal, fulfilling lives. Many of them do so with the use of hearing aids.
Do you or a loved one need hearing aids? Here’s what to know before you head to your audiologist to determine whether assistive devices might be right for you:
Signs of Hearing Loss
If you’ve noticed the following symptoms in yourself or a loved one, it might be time to see a doctor about the possibility of hearing loss:
- Having trouble hearing people on the telephone.
- Difficulty hearing or understanding people speaking softly or even at a regular indoor volume.
- Straining to hear during conversations or while watching television.
- Avoiding social occasions or conversations entirely.
- Frequent complaining about people mumbling, speaking too softly or too quickly, or asking people to repeat themselves.
- Frustration, sadness, or irritability when trying to participate in conversations or listen to the soundtracks or movies, television, or the radio.
What to Do About Hearing Loss
If you find that several of these symptoms apply to you or your loved one, you have various options for how to proceed. All these options begin with seeing a professional, whether it’s your primary care physician or an audiologist or another local specialist.
The most common choice for those suffering from appreciable hearing loss is the use of assistive devices. Hearing aids can help patients hear things more clearly, decipher details in speech or music, hear background sounds better, and prevent further loss of hearing from strain caused by favoring one ear over the other.
If you’re looking for hearing aids in Chicago, contact The Hearing Specialists of DuPage. They can help you return to enjoying many of life’s most beautiful sounds! You can also connect with us on Facebook for more updates.
