People are becoming self-dependent more than they ever did. Want to remodel your kitchen? Simply watch that YouTube video. Is your sink clogged? Again with the YouTube. Trying to learn cursive writing? YouTube… look, you get the idea.
Anything you want to know, you can find, and there’s amazing potential to teach and educate yourself on the Internet. Does that mean you’ll never need a specialist ever again?
Well, not necessarily. Take, for instance, your hearing aids. Let’s imagine that you develop a need for these beneficial little devices. Should you run out to Walmart and pick up a set of over-the-counter hearing aids? Although this might make you feel self-sufficient and sound like the convenient option, there are some real downsides. As a matter of fact, going to see a hearing specialist for hearing aids can help make your hearing aids more reliable and more comfortable.
Hearing loss signs
The symptoms of hearing loss might seem clear-cut, even obvious. Things become more difficult to hear, right? Well, yes, but the symptoms of hearing loss can be much more diverse, and far less evident. In many instances, we don’t know what to watch out for and we miss the symptoms of hearing loss.
Some of the most common symptoms of hearing loss include the following:
- Having to continually crank up the volume: Are you constantly turning up the volume on your television? Well, there’s your first common symptom. This is one of the more obvious ones, but it tends to develop so gradually that it’s often missed.
- Exhaustion and headaches: Your brain frequently has to work extra hard as it struggles to process sound. It needs to work extra hard to process information, it’s like squinting all the time, but with your ears. Exhaustion and chronic headaches can be the outcome.
- Having a tough time hearing when it’s noisy: Do you have a difficult time following discussions when you go out to dinner with friends or family? This is generally a fairly dependable sign that some amount of hearing loss could be happening.
- Requesting that people repeat themselves: You’re frequently needing people to repeat what they said. This is an indication of hearing loss, even if it seems like the volume is the problem. If you start to encounter a great number of individuals who “mumble,” it may be your ears that are the issue.
Obviously, there are other symptoms of hearing loss besides these. Everyone’s experience will be somewhat different. But if you are noticing any of these symptoms, it’s a good idea to visit us to get a diagnosis.
Can a diagnosis be helpful?
So, you are realizing that you can’t hear as well as you used to. Why not simply go to the store and purchase an over-the-counter hearing aid? Well, that would be kind of like buying some corrective glasses without determining your prescription. It might work in some cases. But knowing more about your condition is absolutely indispensable.
That’s because hearing loss is a complex condition. It’s not like somebody simply turns the volume knob in your ear. Instead, as stereocilia inside of your ear get damaged, you tend to lose your hearing in parts at a time, that is, you normally lose the ability to hear high-frequency or low-frequency sounds first.
And it often goes unnoticed. Compensating for these kinds of changes is something that the brain is quite good at. Because of this, it’s usually necessary to get a hearing examination. You might not even recognize you have hearing loss but a hearing test can expose any you might have. You’ll also have the chance to accurately diagnose which frequencies are fading the fastest (and as a result, you will be in a better position to manage symptoms.)
Benefits of working with a hearing specialist
Matching your hearing requirements to the available selection on the shelf will be something you’ll need to do on your own if you decide on over-the-counter hearing aids.
But your hearing aids can be fine-tuned to your specific hearing needs if you go to a hearing specialist. We will help you select the ideal device for your needs and we will tune it to boost the specific frequency that you’re having trouble hearing.
Your hearing specialist will also have the following benefits:
- Your hearing specialist can also help you understand how to adjust your hearing aid successfully. So that you can get the best experience from your hearing aid, this is essential.
- When you have trouble using or comprehending how to use your hearing aid, your hearing specialist can help take you step-by-step through the process and be sure you comprehend how to get the most out of your devices.
- Certainty, that your device will be comfortable by getting a custom fitting.
- Your hearing specialist can make sure that your hearing aids last as long as possible by helping you comprehend and plan proper upkeep and maintenance.
Without the benefit of a hearing specialist, your hearing aid experience will most likely be less optimal, even if you do happen to select the best possible over-the-counter hearing aid for your symptoms.
You will also be better capable of managing your hearing loss symptoms with the help of a hearing specialist. Feeling isolated from family and friends due to hearing loss will be a great deal less likely if you take the correct approach. Those relationships will be preserved. And for the majority of individuals, that’s one of the most worthwhile parts of life.
Everything doesn’t always have to be DIY
Getting help with your hearing aid doesn’t mean you are somehow less self-sufficient. Quite the opposite, actually. Your self-sufficiency and independence will be increased by using the right hearing aids.
Diagnosing your hearing loss, controlling your symptoms, and selecting the correct hearing aids are all things that your hearing specialist will help you do.
In other words, if you suspect you have hearing loss, it’s time to call us!
