3 Things You Should Do If You Believe You're Losing Your Hearing

Posted on: 30 May 2019

As people get older, sometimes their senses of sight and hearing become weaker. If you find yourself asking friends and family members to repeat themselves, or if people complain that you have the television or radio turned too loud on a regular basis, you may be suffering from hearing loss. The words "hearing loss" can be frightening to contemplate, but fortunately, you have options. Here are three things you should do if you believe you're losing your hearing.

1. Visit a doctor for an official diagnosis.

It can take a while for people to notice the symptoms of hearing loss because usually the loss is so gradual. Once you suspect you have hearing loss, however, you should make an appointment with your doctor immediately. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, your primary care physician can help you by ruling out other possible diseases that may be causing your symptoms. They'll check for an ear infection, trauma, and any blockages. If they think your symptoms are caused by hearing loss, they will refer you to a specialist.

2. Visit a specialist.

Your doctor may refer you to an ear, nose, and throat doctor or an audiologist. Either one of these specialists can perform a hearing test, which will tell them more about the severity of your hearing loss. A hearing test is pain-free and simple. You'll sit in a room by yourself, wearing special headphones which will play a series of noises in both ears. You will be asked to raise your hand or give some other signal when you hear a noise. By going through a range of sounds at different decibel levels and frequencies, the specialist will discover which sounds you have trouble with.

3. Go to a hearing aid center.

If your hearing loss is not caused by something that can be reversed or cured, you will be referred to a hearing aid center. The specialists at the center will help to fit you with a hearing aid that will help you hear. Hearing aid technology has come a long way, and digital hearing aids are now available. These hearing aids make sounds louder, like analog hearing aids do, but they can do much more. Digital hearing aids can filter out background noise, which can be overwhelming for some people with hearing loss. You'll be able to hear conversations, music, and other important sounds clearly once again.

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