We tend to lose our hearing in a slow manner which can make it hard to recognise that you may have a hearing impairment. Ironically, the hearing loss sufferer is usually the last one to know - family members, friends or colleagues are often the first to recognise or realise a loss is present.
There can be clear signs that your hearing is not entirely as it should be:
- Television is muffled and requires a regular increase in volume
- Family members complain the TV/ radio is too loud
- Difficulty in following conversations especially in crowded and noisy environments such as restaurants, cafes etc.
- Feel like you need to concentrate more and strain when you listen to someone talk
- Feel left out of conversations and miss a key part in a sentence or a joke
All these are typical signs of a hearing impairment and can lead to a feeling of isolation and anxiety. Don’t worry; you are not alone, and you can certainly do something about it.
Many people find it hard to come to terms with the idea of wearing hearing aids and we fully understand this. Many people leave it for the problem to intensify but the earlier you take action, the better.
Even at the early stage of hearing loss, when hearing is just starting to deteriorate, hearing aids can help maintain neural pathways in your brain responsible for hearing. Your brain needs time to re-adjust to hearing again and the longer it is left untreated, the longer the brain takes to re-adjusts.