Hearing health is health plain and simple. There is no version of a healthy you that does not include health hearing. And there is no version of you that lives a fulfilled and satisfied life without your health. We may often take our health for granted. It is so easy to overlook how much of our joy and even our most basic sense of contentment depend on our health. But as soon as you have a sprained ankle or even a headache, suddenly your sense of physical well-being becomes the primary concern.
Consider how out of whack our society’s attitudes toward hearing health are. Disabling hearing loss is among the most common health issues Americans face today. Estimates range from at least 30 million and maybe as many as 48 million Americans live with it. This is at least 13% of the total population of The United States. It can happen to anyone and many of its causes are so common we hardly recognize them as dangers. They are habits and conditions of our employment, such as loud concerts and sporting events, working with loud machinery, or visiting the shooting range or even exercise classes. And still, even as common as it is, only 20% of people who suffer from it seek appropriate treatment. There are many reasons we can imagine why this might be the case, but let’s consider why you it is so important to not fall into this reckless category.
Hearing Health is the Foundation of Safety
At the most basic level, we depend on our hearing for our immediate safety. We use it to navigate our environments. Imagine how much more likely you are to be in a traffic accident either as a pedestrian or a driver when you can not accurately locate that immense percentage of our environments that are completely beyond our control. We depend on our quick reaction times. Now imagine not being able to hear alarms or sirens.
Furthermore, our sense of balance depends on our auditory systems. This is not just a matter of navigating crowds, but simply standing up from your chair, even in silence and even unimpeded by any distractions. Basically everything you may want or need to do is not possible without balance. Studies show that falls are the leading cause of injury among people over the age of 60. Why put off dealing with the problem? Hearing loss is irreversible and incurable, but it is manageable. The earlier you take action to intervene, the less obstacles there are to overcome.
Hearing Health is about More than Physical Safety
And these obstacles to overcome are much, much more than simply the obvious physical dangers. Consider how sad this most common course of untreated hearing loss is and how much unnecessary suffering it creates.
Untreated hearing loss causes you to have trouble following conversations with two or more people, especially in public spaces with background noise. So naturally you get confused. And this confusion creates a sense of frustration. So it is not even a decision, just simple intuition to withdraw socially. And who wouldn’t feel lonely as they withdraw socially? And when confronted with a loneliness that has no end in sight, who wouldn’t become depressed? And did you know depression creates a feedback loop of all kinds of health conditions, not to mention cognitive decline and even dementia?
You Need a Test
It is almost surreal how common it is that people fail to recognize their own hearing loss coming on. We assume that people should recognize such a change in their own body and address it. But, really does such an assumption make sense? Do you notice if you put on a pound or two over the course of a month? Probably not, but but you will notice when your pants no longer fit as they did. So it is with hearing loss. You likely will not notice if you are asking people to repeat themselves a little more frequently or turning the volume up on your television one or two more clicks. The only way to really get an accurate sense of your own hearing is getting a hearing exam from one of our trained specialists. They will tell you clearly and objectively where your hearing measures and guide you through your options to prevent the symptoms from increasing. Don’t wait. Make an appointment today.