A recent poll reported that 80% of Americans over 50 said their primary care provider hadn’t asked about their hearing in the last two years.
Since appointment times are often limited, many primary care providers won’t bring up hearing issues if it’s not the main reason you made the appointment. However, hearing loss can impact other aspects of your health as well. So, if you’re having problems, it’s important to be proactive in asking your provider about hearing loss screenings.
Five Reasons To Discuss Hearing Loss with Your Doctor
Untreated hearing loss can negatively affect your quality of life in multiple ways.
- Negatively impact your relationships. Hearing loss makes it harder to communicate with others. This can put a strain on your closest relationships, especially a partner or spouse, by increasing misunderstandings and making conversation difficult.
- Lead to isolation. Because communication is harder, you may start avoiding social situations that you used to enjoy, like family barbeques or meeting friends at Clyde Coffee.
- Worsen mental health. Isolation can lead to feelings of loneliness, depression and anxiety. You may feel like you are missing out on important moments or feel stressed about your hearing loss getting worse or missing important information because you struggle to hear.
- Increase your risk of balance issues. Hearing and balance are closely intertwined. Damage to the inner ear that can cause hearing loss may cause balance issues as well, which can increase your risk of injury from falls.
- Affect the way your brain works. One of the more concerning aspects of untreated hearing loss is that studies have shown that it may contribute to a faster rate of atrophy in the brain. These changes can lead to serious issues like cognitive decline and dementia.
Signs of Hearing Loss
While the consequences of untreated hearing loss are serious, it can be hard to know you even have a problem at first. That’s because most cases of hearing loss come on gradually. To make sure you catch any hearing issues early, keep an eye out for the following signs:
- Ringing or buzzing in the ears (tinnitus)
- Frequently asking others to repeat themselves
- Struggling to follow conversations, especially in places with a lot of background noise
- 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
- Family or friends have commented on your hearing
If you have experienced any of these, mention them to your primary care provider. They will examine your ears and likely refer you to an audiologist for a hearing test. If hearing loss is discovered, treatment options like hearing aids can help you stay connected to others and reduce your risk of health problems associated with untreated hearing loss.
For more information or to schedule an appointment with a hearing expert, contact Western Montana Hearing and Speech today.