What Are the Signs of Hearing Loss?
Contrary to popular belief, hearing loss doesn’t always mean the complete absence of sound. Individuals with hearing loss can hear, they just lack clarity to understand certain words or conversations seem muffled. It’s important to recognize the signs of hearing loss so you can be proactive by scheduling a hearing check-up.
- You frequently ask for information to be repeated
- It seems like everyone around you mumbles
- It’s difficult to hear when there is background noise
- You have a hard time understanding words or hearing certain vowels
- You need to turn the TV volume up higher to hear
- You feel tired after conversations
Hearing and Brain Health
Hearing plays a larger role in our overall health than you may think. We rely on our hearing for effective communication, to maintain our balance, and for good brain health. When left untreated, hearing loss can lead to social isolation, depression, cognitive decline, and even dementia. This is because we don’t hear with our ears, we “hear” with the brain.
When sound waves are captured by the ear, they are transmitted up to the auditory cortex of the brain. This is where they are made into meaning and stored in our memory. When you have hearing loss, the brain has to work harder to hear the little it can and it often misses key pieces of information. Over time this can lead to listening fatigue and forgetfulness, and the brain will start to atrophy.
To keep your cognition sharp as you age, it’s important to manage any hearing losses right away. Hearing aids are a great option as they will provide you with the proper amplification to hear better and they can filter out background noise, making it easier to hear the information you need to hear. Don’t let hearing loss affect your cognition, schedule an appointment at Johnson’s Hearing Centers today.
Tinnitus
Tinnitus is a hearing disorder that affects your perception of sound. The symptoms of tinnitus can vary from person to person. Some people hear the phantom sounds constantly while others only hear it occasionally. If your tinnitus is severe enough that it affects your sleep or quality of life, then you should seek help.
At Johnson’s Hearing Centers, we carry tinnitus masking hearing aids that can play soothing sounds in your ears to distract your brain from tinnitus. While hearing aids won’t cure tinnitus, they can help you experience relief. Contact us to learn more about our hearing aids and how they can help with tinnitus.
