Individuals are becoming self-dependent more than ever before. Want to remodel your kitchen? Simply watch that YouTube video. Want to unclog your sink? Again with the YouTube. Want to learn how to do calligraphy? YouTube… look, you get the idea.
You can discover any information you may want to learn and self-learning has never been more available. So the real question is, are we done needing professionals?
Well, not exactly. Take, for example, your hearing aids. Imagine if you detect some hearing loss and find yourself in need of these helpful little devices. Does that mean you should just drive up to the local pharmacy and get a pair of over-the-counter hearing aids? It sounds fairly effortless (and gives you the impression of self-sufficiency), but there are some substantial drawbacks. As a matter of fact, visiting a hearing specialist for hearing aids can help make your hearing aids more reliable and more comfortable.
Hearing loss symptoms
The symptoms of hearing loss may seem clear-cut, even obvious. You can’t hear as well, right? While that may sometimes be the case, in other circumstances the symptoms can be less apparent. Certainly, individuals often miss the signs of hearing loss because they’re unsure about what to look for.
Here are a few of the most common hearing loss symptoms:
- The continual need to crank the volume up: Are you constantly turning up the volume on your television? Well, there’s your first common sign. This one is often missed because it develops slowly over a long time period.
- Headaches and tiredness: Your brain often 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. Tiredness and chronic headaches can be the consequence.
- Needing people to repeat what they said: You’re often needing people to repeat what they said. This is a sign of hearing loss, even if it feels like the volume is the issue. If you begin to encounter a great number of people who “mumble,” it might be your ears that are the problem.
- Problems hearing conversations in noisy places: Do you have a tough time following conversations when you go out to eat with family or friends? This is generally a pretty dependable sign that some degree of hearing loss might be happening.
Obviously, there are other symptoms of hearing loss besides these. Everyone’s experience will be a bit different. But you should definitely come see us for an assessment if you are detecting any of these symptoms.
Can a diagnosis be useful?
So, you are recognizing that you can’t hear as well as you used to. Perhaps you should run out to your local box-store and buy an over-the-counter hearing aid. Well, would you go out and buy prescription glasses without getting an eye exam? It may work sometimes. But understanding more about your condition is definitely essential.
Everybody’s experience of hearing loss is unique and complex. It’s not as though somebody just turns the volume knob in your ear. Instead, as stereocilia inside of your ear get damaged, you usually 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 frequently goes undetected. Compensating for these kinds of changes is something that the brain is very good at. Because of this, it’s usually necessary to get a hearing exam. This screening process can help you discover hearing loss you might not even realize you have. You’ll also have the chance to correctly diagnose which frequencies tend to be fading the quickest (and as a result, you will be in a better position to control symptoms.)
Benefits of going to a hearing specialist
Matching your hearing requirements to the available selection on the shelf will be something you’ll need to do by yourself if you decide on over-the-counter hearing aids.
But when you visit a hearing specialist, your hearing aids can be tailored to your needs. We will help you pick the ideal device for your requirements and we will tune it to boost the specific frequency that you’re having difficulty hearing.
Here are some other benefits to seeing a hearing specialist:
- Confidence, that your device will be comfortable by getting a professional fitting.
- Your hearing specialist can help you plan the appropriate maintenance for your hearing aid, making sure that your devices last for as long as possible.
- Your hearing specialist will help you understand how to get the most out of your hearing aids if you’re having trouble understanding how to best use them.
- Programing your hearing aid more effectively is also something your hearing specialist can also help you with. This is critical to a good experience with your devices.
Without the benefit of a hearing specialist, your hearing aid experience will most likely be less ideal, 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. With the correct approach, you’ll be a lot less likely to lose friends or become isolated from your family on account of your hearing loss symptoms. Those relationships will be maintained. And that can be exceptionally important.
Everything doesn’t always have to be DIY
Seeking 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 correct hearing aids.
Diagnosing your hearing loss, managing your symptoms, and choosing the right hearing aids are all things that your hearing specialist will help you do.
In other words, if you think you have hearing loss, it’s time to call us!