Are You Grumpy? Maybe It's Hearing Loss

A senior man suffering from hearing loss looking unhappy on the sofa at home

You’re not quite certain why, but you’ve been feeling moody lately. Well, it was annoying earlier today when you felt left out of the meeting at work. Your daughter got up and suddenly left the house after becoming annoyed when you kept asking her to turn the volume on the TV up. What’s the story with that?

Perhaps the real problem is hearing loss!

As you get older hearing loss can sneak up on you and over 40 million individuals in the US suffer with it. And the problem goes beyond just your ears. Research shows that even minor hearing loss puts you at risk for memory issues, cognitive decline, and even depression. What you might think is simply a sign of age, may actually be a treatable medical problem. Perhaps, your co-workers didn’t leave you out of the conversation after all, maybe you missed crucial conversational queues because you couldn’t hear them. Honestly, it can be extremely aggravating when you can’t hear during your daily life.

Get the facts about hearing loss

Learning a little bit more about what you’re coping with is a useful place to start. For many people, hearing loss is a normal side effect of getting older. But years of exposure to excessively loud noise can also be the cause for others. Noise-related hearing loss can be caused by lots of noise sources, such as mowing the lawn and leaf blowing, listening to loud music, and driving in loud traffic with the window down. The delicate mechanisms in your ear can be harmed by lots of noises in the world.

Another potential source of hearing loss is chronic disease that becomes more common as we age. High blood pressure, for instance, or diabetes can both hinder blood flow, which can cause harm to the inner ear.

Recognize the signs

People normally take their hearing for granted, so when it begins to fail they don’t notice the signs:

You’re always asking people to repeat themselves or even worse, saying ‘what’ all of the time
When individuals are conversing, you continually feel left out
When there’s background sound, like an AC or fan running, you have a hard time hearing words

If you recognize any of these hearing loss indicators, it’s no wonder you’re grumpy! Depression and social isolation can be the outcome of feeling separated from your world.

Managing hearing loss

Begin by asking a family member or a loved one if they have seen you working hard to keep up with conversations or if you say “What?” a little too frequently. It may seem like a difficult discussion but it’s a very worthwhile one. A hearing exam should be next on your list, especially if people have observed you having a difficult time hearing. Try to get a loved one to go along with you to your exam. It can be helpful to have a calm and supportive friend with you.

Your hearing examination will not only help to establish your hearing loss but it will also gauge the extent of it. If hearing loss is identified, we will advise the next course of action for you depending on the results of the test. Typically, hearing aids will be a principal part of the treatment plan. Don’t stress, there are so many choices and features that you’re sure to find hearing aids that fit your lifestyle!

How to choose quality hearing aids

We’ll have suggestions that will be best suited for your individual type of hearing loss. You will probably need to try several brands and models before you discover the best fit for your specific taste and hearing requirements. Hearing aids don’t simply amplify sound nowadays. They can block out background noises, link to smartphones and computers, and even determine the direction of a sound. Do some research to find out which brands and models provide the features that will best fit your lifestyle and needs.

And, remember to think about styles. Some models have no color and are almost invisible and other models come in vibrant colors.

If you think you’re suffering from hearing loss, schedule an appointment with our qualified hearing specialists today. It’s time to get out of that cranky mindset and we can help!