Hearing Health Series: Part One
When To Get Established with A Hearing Healthcare Provider
Welcome to Part One of my four-part series addressing the process from beginning to end of assessing and treating hearing loss.
In part one, we’ll look at when to get established with a hearing healthcare provider. Choosing the right provider is the most important step as the experience, quality, and values of your provider will impact every aspect of your experience on your journey to better hearing health.
While I’m excited to bring you this series, I want to point out one thing. It’ll take you eight weeks to discover the process and secrets of successful treatment of hearing health through these blogs. But you could expedite the process and not just learn, but experience it firsthand before I can even publish part two by calling me today!
First things first: Do you need hearing aids?
Be honest with yourself. Better yet, ask friends and loved ones if they think you need help with your hearing.
Common indicators that you suffer some degree of hearing loss include experiencing any of the following symptoms:
Speech and other sounds seem muffled
Difficulty understanding words, especially against background noise or in a crowd
Trouble hearing consonants
Frequently asking others to speak more slowly, clearly and loudly
Or blaming others for mumbling and talking too quietly
Needing to turn up the volume on the television or radio
Withdrawal from conversations
Or controlling conversations by doing all the talking
Avoidance of some social settings[1]
You can also use the following self-assessment to determine if you need to pursue professional help from a hearing provider.
Hearing loss can be a sneaky little bugger that makes self-diagnosis more challenging than you might expect. For a more in-depth discussion and some helpful self-assessment tools, check out my prior post titled, Do You Need an Audiologist Or an Attitude Adjustment. These are the topics addressed:
How do you know if you have hearing loss?
Can you test your hearing on your own at home?
Hearing self-assessment surveys vs. online hearing tests.
Which type of provider is best when it comes to hearing loss?
If you haven’t already, head on over and read it. It’ll open in a new window so come on back to this article when you’ve finished.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when it comes to treating hearing loss.
Hearing Aids Won’t Fix Your Hearing.
Nor will they keep your hearing loss from worsening over time. Hearing aids are a way we can counteract hearing loss by amplifying sound. Now, if you don’t use hearing aids, your ability to understand speech is likely to get worse, which can make it seem like your hearing is getting worse faster than it is.
Two Hearing Aids Are Better Than One
You might be asking:
But what if you have hearing loss in only one ear?
Good question. If you have hearing loss in only one ear, some providers might be okay prescribing only one hearing aid. But otherwise, using one hearing aid is not a good idea, and here’s why.
Using only one hearing aid will:
Cause you to hear in “mono” vs. “stereo”
Hearing in stereo creates a fuller, richer, more natural quality of sound.
Deprive the brain of the full input it requires to process sounds
The ears collect sound while the brain processes it. They have to work together to locate sounds, understand speech, and perceive volume. This is easier to do with binaural hearing — in other words, both ears collecting and transmitting sound equally. Some refer to this as auditory intelligence.
And what’s more, “Believe it or not, your left and right ears were not created equal. According to research conducted by scientists at UCLA and the University of Arizona, the left side is more sensitive to music and singing, while the right ear is partial to the spoken word. Amplifying both ears helps you enjoy all of the noisy nuances of the world around you.”[2]
Make it difficult to detect where sounds are coming from
Identifying the location of a sound’s origin is necessary when socializing in a larger group so you can identify who is speaking and allow you to hear the full conversation. But it’s also vital for your safety. For example, being able to hear approaching traffic and know from which direction it’s coming.
Increase the need for volume
Turning the volume up high enough to compensate for not hearing from your other ear can result in a painful and damaging experience. Remember, loud sounds can cause hearing loss — just imagine the damage a hearing aid can do if it’s always amplifying sounds with too much volume.
It’s time to take action and begin your journey to better hearing health.
It’s pretty straight forward, if you have any inkling that your hearing might not be what it once was, it’s probably time to schedule an appointment for a hearing exam.
When choosing your provider, opt for an audiologist, not a hearing instrument specialist.
I can’t reiterate this point enough because it will make all the difference in your experience and success. Audiologists are fully trained and capable to diagnose and treat your hearing health. We’re your one-stop-shop, so to say.
It’s best to start having an annual hearing exam and establishing a relationship with a trusted audiologist before you experience noticeable hearing loss. And if you still have your youth, keep in mind that around the age of 45 is a great time to get established and begin monitoring your hearing health.
Why? Because your audiologist will get a baseline of what good hearing is for you and be better able to catch the onset of hearing loss and take action to prevent it from affecting your overall health and the way you experience life.
For an in-depth look at how far-reaching hearing loss can be on your overall health, see my article titled, Could the Secret to Aging With Grace Be Through Quality Hearing?
But if you suspect you already have hearing loss, no worries, just get in to see an audiologist. Don’t overthink it. It’s as easy as clicking here to schedule an appointment with me. And please, don’t fret over the decision any longer, let me put your mind at ease with a simple but thorough hearing exam. Who knows, maybe you’re not losing your hearing at all, and a good ear cleaning is all you’ll need!
In the meantime, here are a few useful tips and tricks that’ll help compensate for your hearing loss[3]:
Look at the speaker for visual cues like facial expressions and body language, and you might just be surprised to find you can read lips better than you think. These elements will give your brain the added input it needs to help you process what’s being said.
Choose an ideal spot for listening by putting yourself between the speaker and whatever background noise or distraction there may be.
Choose a good listening environment whenever possible. The better the lighting and acoustic a room (think carpeted & acoustic tiles on the ceiling), the better you’ll be able to hear.
Use closed captioning wherever possible.
Let others know you have difficulty hearing. They can adjust to make sure they have your attention before speaking to you and will be more likely to look at you when they’re talking to give you the extra visual cues to make understanding easier.
Most importantly, pay attention to the conversation. You’ll be better able to follow the context of what’s being said even if you can’t hear everything.
And remember, it’s always important to protect what degree of hearing you have left. So please:
Use ear protection whenever around loud noises.
Don’t turn the volume up too high when using headphones or earbuds.
Don’t delay getting in for a hearing exam with your audiologist.
Life… It’s worth hearing!
Ready to schedule an appointment? I’m open and accepting new patients, click here to schedule with me now.
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And if you just need to reach me ASAP, call me I’m here to help! Dr. Jonell @ 509-994-4395.
