Have you ever tried to ignore a toothache? They can be rather tough. Before long, you end up having no other option but to consult a dentist. And when your eyesight starts to lose focus it’s the same. You’ll probably call an ophthalmologist when you begin to have trouble reading street signs. But the concern is, when your hearing begins to go you might not have such urgency.

This would probably be a mistake. There are appreciable health issues (particularly mental health problems) that can happen as a consequence of neglected hearing loss. Regrettably, it’s pretty difficult to address your diminishing hearing if you aren’t aware of it. And that’s difficulty number two.

Indications You May Have Hearing Loss

We often take our hearing for granted. A high volume music event? No big deal.. Blasting ear pods? That’s just how you enjoy your podcasts. But your overall hearing will be significantly affected by each of these decisions, especially in the long run.

It can, unfortunately, be hard to notice these impacts. The signs of hearing loss can be nearly invisible because they creep up so slowly over time. That’s why it’s a good idea to identify some primary red flags (and to deal with them sooner than later):

• Distorted or muffled sounding speech from individuals near you (co-workers, family, friends)
• You find yourself asking those around you to repeat what they said frequently
• You keep turning up the volume on your television, car stereo, or your smartphone
• You consistently blow the speakers in your earpods because you have the volume up too high
• Your short term memory tends to suddenly fail now and then
• When you’re in a crowded noisy situation you have a hard time keeping up with conversations
• You have a difficult time falling asleep at night and feel fatigued for no apparent reason
• You have a particularly difficult time hearing consonants when listening to casual speech

These symptoms, red flags, or warnings are all pretty well recognized. At first, you will be somewhat oblivious to your symptoms, particularly if they come on gradually, because your brain will instantly start to compensate. That’s why all of these warning symptoms should be taken seriously, which means you need to make an appointment to see your hearing specialist.

What Going to Happen if You Ignore Your Hearing Loss?

Indeed, some individuals are quite stubborn. Or they just don’t like the concept of wearing a hearing aid. They believe that wearing hearing aids makes them appear old. But that’s not really the situation (most hearing aids can be very discreet, and being capable of conversing fluently is a benefit, too).

Still, if you ignore hearing loss it could lead to several issues:

• Your relationships could fray: When you have a hard time understanding what your friends and family are saying, something can change in the relationship: you avoid talking to them. You stop calling to say hi, you don’t keep up with what’s going on with them, you withdraw. And that can ruin some of those relationships, specifically if the problem is hearing loss that you have kept secret (and not some unexpressed bitterness).
• You could cause your hearing to get worse: If you don’t utilize hearing aids or increased ear protection, You’ll keep turning up your devices. Or you’ll keep going to rock concerts without any earplugs. And your hearing will keep diminishing as you keep to do harm to your ears.
• You could suffer from cognitive decline and depression: As your relationships falter and going out gets more difficult, you might begin to detect symptoms of depression. You might also begin to experience some mental decline if your brain doesn’t get the auditory activation that it’s used to, your neural physiology starts to experience specific changes. If your hearing loss isn’t treated, it can bring about longterm cognitive worries.

Don’t Neglect Your Hearing Loss

Unmistakably, ignoring your hearing loss can cause bigger and more significant problems later on. But the opposite is true: recognizing and treating your hearing loss can improve your quality of life substantially. When you can hear, your relationships get better and your every day life seems fuller. And increasing your awareness, either by seeing a hearing specialist or downloading a noise-monitoring app, can improve your overall hearing health.

You definitely shouldn’t neglect the health problem of hearing loss. The sooner you find the proper treatment, the happier you’ll be. Deal with your hearing loss before it gets too severe to ignore.