Hearing loss effects several areas of life

They say you never realize how much you miss something until it’s gone. It’s certainly true when it comes to your hearing. The fact is, your daily life will be affected by hearing loss. Here are a few examples:

* It’s hard to engage in conversations. When you suffer from hearing loss, it’s tough to talk to people. Every conversation has to be replayed, as you have to ask people to repeat themselves. Eventually, you avoid conversations because you don’t want to feel like you are annoying other people by asking them to repeat what they’ve said. This can make your life feel lonely.

* You struggle in noisy environments. Hearing problems make it very hard to pinpoint where sounds are coming from. In a noisy setting — like a restaurant — this can cause a great deal of stress. It’s hard to relax as you don’t know when people are talking to you, you can’t hear the waiter, and you have a hard time processing everything.

*Your safety is at risk. If you can’t hear well, you may miss essential sounds. A fire alarm can go off without you noticing, or you may not hear a vehicle approaching while you’re driving. Because hearing loss affects your balance as well, you can be at risk of falling.

*It’s harder to enjoy things you used to love. Sure, you can still watch TV, but you may need to put subtitles on, which can make the viewing experience less pleasant than it once was. You might only be able to hear music when you turn the volume up excruciatingly high, which only damages your hearing further. It’s hard to play an instrument when you can’t hear the sounds you’re making.

The good news is there’s no such thing as a bad time to see your audiologist and get a hearing exam. As soon as you feel like your hearing is getting worse, book an appointment and begin to enjoy life again.

~Dr. Sarah Hickey, Au. D., is an audiologist and owner of Audiology Associates.