I think I have hearing loss. What should I do?

Hearing loss is one of the more common physical ailments a person will experience in their lives. By the age of 65, one in three people will have at least one form of hearing loss. It’s therefore always seemed odd that despite this commonality, having hearing loss is still something that people don’t talk about. And what’s worse is that when people do begin to experience the effects of this loss, they do nothing about it. This apathy can be detrimental to both your physical and personal health and is something that should not be ignored.

If you are one of the many who do have a hearing loss, the first and only step is simple; call a hearing specialist and have a simple, pain free hearing test.

As obvious as this may sound, it’s advice that is so often ignored for a whole host of reasons. These range from embarrassment to general laziness right on through to denial. So, if you are living with hearing loss, and still deciding whether you should do something about it, there are a few steps that you can go through before making a final decision.

The first step is simple awareness. Being aware that there are several types of hearing loss might make you think differently about what kind of impairment you have, and might induce you to think logically about whether you could have it.

There are three types of hearing loss:

• Conductive – This is caused through physical blockages and obstructions around the ear. If you are suffering from this type of hearing loss than chances are that you know you have it. Physical ailments like ear infections, and fluid or wax build-up will usually cause this.
• Sensorineural – This is the most common form and the one that most people will ignore and deny. The cochlea is the auditory portion of the inner ear and like any other part of the body, wears out with use and time. This form of hearing loss is caused by both ageing and lifestyle (listening to loud music for example).
• Mixed Hearing Loss – This is a combination of the above two types. You can both suffer from physical maladies related to hearing loss while also experiencing the deterioration of your cochlea.

The second thing that you need to be aware of when dealing with your hearing loss is the realisation that the benefits of having your hearing checked far outweigh the negatives. Speaking of negatives, there aren’t any. The procedure is short and extremely non-invasive. But as far as the positives go, they’re near immeasurable. Identifying hearing loss early may help prevent other physical maladies, such as cardiovascular issues and even diabetes. There are also the overwhelming social and personal benefits that will be experienced from improving your hearing. There’s really no reason to avoid getting checked out and every reason to do so.

Finally, not knowing what to expect from an appointment is one of the more common deterrents for why most don’t get a hearing test when they initially notice their hearing failing. Knowing what to expect, and seeing how simple the process is might just help change your mind and stop you putting it off.

Here’s what you can expect during a hearing examination.

• First your clinician will ask you a series of questions that pertain to your lifestyle. These are simple questions designed to inform the medical professional as to what type of hearing loss you may have.
• Next they will perform an Otoscopy. This is a physical examination of the ear canals and eardrums. It’s no more intrusive than looking through your ear with a flash-light.
• After that, a series of hearing tests will be administered via headphones. They are known as the Speech Discrimination Test, the Puretone Audiometry Test and the Tympanometry Test. During these tests, a series of sounds and noises will be played while you provide feedback on how well you hear them.
• And that’s it!

The process is so simple that you will wonder why you didn’t make an appointment sooner.

If you are reading this than chances are that you think you may have hearing damage. It might not be very severe, and barely noticeable most of the time. But if there’s even a chance that you might have some form, no matter how minor, then please book an appointment. There are no drawbacks to doing this, only positives.

Call us 9870 2899 or email us now hearing@acutehearing.com.au to find out how we can help you hear better, today!