People are becoming self-dependent more than they ever did. Want to remodel your kitchen? You can learn how to do that by watching a YouTube video. Is your sink clogged? Again with the YouTube. Attempting to learn cursive writing? YouTube… look, you get the point.
Anything you want to learn, you can find, and there’s great potential to teach and educate yourself on the Internet. So the real question is, are we done needing specialists?
Not always. Hearing aids are a practical example. Let’s imagine that you develop a need for these beneficial little devices. Does that mean you should just go out to the local pharmacy and get a set of over-the-counter hearing aids? It sounds nice and easy (and gives you the impression of self-sufficiency), but there are some significant drawbacks. Actually, your hearing aids will be more comfortable and effective if you come in to get a consultation with us.
Hearing loss signs
You may think that hearing loss symptoms are fairly self-evident. You can’t hear as well, right? While that may sometimes be the truth, in other situations the symptoms can be less evident. Certainly, individuals often miss the signs of hearing loss because they don’t know what to watch out for.
Here are some of the most prevalent hearing loss symptoms:
- Needing people to repeat what they said: You’re often needing people to repeat what they said. Even if it seems like people are speaking quietly, it’s actually hearing loss that’s the problem. If you start to come across a great number of individuals who “mumble,” it might be your ears that are the issue.
- Having a hard time hearing when it’s noisy: Do you have a difficult time keeping up with conversations when you go out to dinner with family or friends? You should definitely pay attention if you notice this symptom because it’s a pretty powerful indication of hearing loss.
- Tiredness and headaches: Often, when you have hearing loss, your brain fights to keep up. It needs to work extra hard to process information, it’s like squinting constantly, but with your ears. Exhaustion and chronic headaches can be the result.
- Having to constantly crank the volume up: Are you always turning up the volume on your television? Well, that’s an indicator of hearing loss. This one is often missed because it develops slowly over a long time period.
Needless to say, these symptoms aren’t always the only symptoms of hearing loss. Everyone’s experience will be slightly different. But you should absolutely come see us for an assessment if you are detecting any of these symptoms.
Can a diagnosis be useful?
So, you have hearing loss symptoms. Maybe you should run out to your local box-store and buy an over-the-counter hearing aid. Well, that would be sort of like buying some corrective glasses without knowing your prescription. It may work sometimes. But understanding more about your condition is definitely essential.
Everyone’s experience of hearing loss is unique and complex. It’s not as though somebody simply turns the volume knob in your ear. Instead, as stereocilia inside of your ear become damaged, you usually lose your hearing in parts at a time, that is, you usually lose the ability to hear high-frequency or low-frequency sounds first.
And it often goes unnoticed. Compensating for these types of changes is something that the brain is really good at. That’s why a hearing test is typically required. You may not even recognize you have hearing loss but a hearing test can expose any you may have. You’ll also have the opportunity to accurately diagnose which frequencies are fading the quickest (and be better capable of managing your symptoms as a result.)
Visiting a hearing specialist has its advantages
Matching your hearing requirements to the available selection on the shelf will be something you’ll have to do by yourself if you go with over-the-counter hearing aids.
But your hearing aids can be calibrated to your particular hearing needs if you consult with a hearing specialist. Your hearing specialist can help you choose the best device for your symptoms and then tailor that device specifically for the frequency you need help with.
Here are some other benefits to seeing a hearing specialist:
- Confidence, that your device will be comfortable by getting a custom fitting.
- When you have difficulty using or comprehending how to use your hearing aid, your hearing specialist can help take you step-by-step through the process and make sure you comprehend how to get the most out of your devices.
- Programing your hearing aid more successfully is also something your hearing specialist can also assist you with. This is critical to a good experience with your devices.
- Your hearing specialist can ensure that your hearing aids last as long as possible by helping you understand and plan correct upkeep and maintenance.
Without the advantage of a hearing specialist, your hearing aid experience will most likely be less optimal, 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 assistance of a hearing specialist. Feeling isolated from friends and family due to hearing loss will be a great deal less likely if you take the correct approach. Those connections will be preserved. And that can be incredibly important.
Everything doesn’t always need to be DIY
It doesn’t mean you’re less self-sufficient simply because you require some help with hearing aids. Quite the opposite, actually. Your self-sufficiency and independence will be improved by using the correct hearing aids.
A hearing specialist can help you diagnose your hearing loss, regulate your symptoms, and pick out the correct device for your requirements.
In other words, if you think you have hearing loss, it’s time to contact us!