This is a very common question that many are reluctant to ask—perhaps because they feel hearing loss should be obvious when it occurs. The truth, however, is that most hearing loss occurs very gradually. Here are a few warning signs to keep in mind:
- Difficulty hearing from a distance
- Problems hearing speech in noise
- Others find the affected person speaks too loudly
- Other people appear to mumble
- Family or friends complain that radio or TV is played too loudly
- Difficulty understanding soft speech or female and children's voices
- Often having to ask people to repeat themselves
- Inability to hear common sounds in the household, such as alarm clock, water-tap dripping, etc.
- Ringing in the ears
Very much so. Sound causes pressure on the internal organs that enable us to hear. Excess pressure is damaging to the mechanisms of hearing just as excessive pressure in an engine is dangerous to an automobile. This is especially true for people who spend a lot of time around loud noises due to their work or leisure activities; that's why hearing health professionals recommend wearing hearing protection when noise levels are at 85 decibels or higher. Even operating a lawn mower over long periods of time, without hearing protection, can lead to some degree of hearing loss.
In a word—yes. In fact, people with hearing loss tend to miss work due to sickness more often than people without hearing loss. Among the possible health effects of hearing loss: changes to the immune system, fatigue from trying too hard to understand people, frustration/depression/anger, increased illnesses and hospital visits, impaired memory and increased risk of dementia. There's also the risk of injury that comes from not being able to hear traffic signals and alarms.
Aside from increasing your risk of health problems, hearing loss can seriously damage personal relationships, work performance and overall quality of life.
Aside from the obvious answer ("They help you hear better") hearing aids are proven to make life happier for the people who wear them. Hearing aids make it easier to interact with people socially and feel better connected to friends and family. They give people confidence when they're out and about, involved in the simple bits of communication that get you through a day at the office or a weekend of running errands. Given the connection of hearing loss to various physical ailments, hearing aids also contribute to better overall health.
As soon as you suspect you may have hearing loss, you should have your hearing professionally tested. If hearing loss is diagnosed, your hearing health professional will tell you if your loss is of a type and degree at which a hearing aid is the best current option.
That question can only be answered properly by consulting a certified hearing health professional who can determine your type and degree of hearing loss, as well as which device will best help you achieve the best possible hearing. Part of that process includes deciding which type of device will work best with the shape of your ear.
You'll get the most out of hearing aids by caring for them properly and having them professionally cleaned and checked on a regular basis. If you take good care of them, you can expect to get between three and five years of service from hearing aids.