One of the best things we can do for our health is to be proactive about talking about any issues or concerns with our primary care provider. This includes hearing loss.
A recent poll showed that 80% of Americans over 50 said their primary care provider hadn’t asked about their hearing in the last two years. So, if you have concerns, make sure to carve out time to talk with your doctor, as the consequences of untreated hearing loss can affect all aspects of your life.
Early Hearing Loss Signs You Should Discuss with Your Doctor
If you experience sudden hearing loss, you should treat it as a medical emergency and seek help immediately. However, in most cases, hearing loss comes on gradually and may be hard to notice at first. If you experience any of the following, make an appointment to discuss them with your primary care provider:
- Ringing or buzzing in the ears (tinnitus)
- Frequently needing others to repeat themselves
- Struggling to follow conversations in places with a lot of background noise, like a Friday night dinner at Murphy’s Restaurant
- Needing to turn the volume up louder than you used to on the TV or radio
- Not hearing high-pitched noises like your phone beeping or birds chirping outside
Your doctor can examine your ears to see if something like earwax buildup is causing your symptoms and refer you to an audiologist for a hearing test.
Why You Should Treat Your Hearing Loss as Soon as Possible
Untreated hearing loss impacts your ability to communicate with others. This can affect you in a variety of different ways, from making it harder to follow a presentation at work to struggling to have a conversation with your grandchildren because you can’t make out what they are saying. These communication struggles can lead to sadness, frustration and social isolation.
Hearing loss can impact your health as well and increase your risk of anxiety and depression, balance problems, and even cognitive decline and dementia.
The good news is that by treating your hearing loss with hearing aids or other assistive listening devices, you can stay connected to others and help minimize your risk of associated health problems.
So, make it a priority to talk to your doctor about your hearing health or reach out to the experts at Prescott Ear, Nose, Throat & Allergy today to schedule an appointment.