5 Ways Hearing Loss Affects You
We all have five senses, and we do best when all of them work perfectly. However, as you age, it’s more than likely they won’t all be as sharp as they once were. Maybe you cannot see as well as you previously could, or perhaps your hearing begins to go.
If you can’t hear as well, there’s no denying that it makes your life harder. It’s tough not just on you but on those around you.
Let’s look at some specific ways hearing loss can affect you, as well as what you can do to combat it.
You Can’t Hear the People Around You as Well
One of the main hearing loss problems is that you can’t hear the people around you as well as you once could. That might include:
- Family members
- Coworkers
- Friends
If you’re at work, you might not hear someone in the next cubicle over unless they’re yelling. You can’t hear your spouse or partner attempting to get your attention in the next room at home. At gatherings, relatives must shout to get your attention.
This probably frustrates both you and them. It’s just about the most significant thing individuals complain about who experience hearing loss.
You Can’t Drive Safely Anymore
Another hearing loss issue is that you can’t necessarily drive as safely as you could before. That’s because:
- You can’t hear car horns honking at you
- You can’t hear police or ambulance sirens
You can still drive, but you’re endangering yourself and other motorists, not to mention pedestrians, cyclists, etc. You might be fine driving with limited hearing for a while, but the longer you do it, the more likely you’ll cause a crash. You’ll hate living with yourself if you cause someone’s severe injury or death.
You Can’t Enjoy Music as Much
Some people don’t care about music very much, but others love it. You might have many artists whose albums you enjoy, either contemporary bands or older ones.
If you can’t hear, you can’t enjoy your smartphone’s carefully-compiled music collection. You can’t hear your satellite radio stations. You also can’t listen to things like podcasts or audiobooks.
This means you’ll enjoy your drives to and from work a lot less. There are few concerts now because of Covid-19 concerns, but once there’s a vaccine, and live music starts back up, you won’t be able to enjoy that either.
You Can’t Communicate as Well Via Your Phone
During the pandemic, you also probably can’t see your relatives and friends as much as you’d like. Maybe you can’t see them during the upcoming Thanksgiving, Hannukah, or Christmas holidays.
You can talk to your relatives on the phone or Skype with them, but it’s tough if you keep saying “excuse me” or “pardon me” every few seconds. They might end up bellowing into the phone to try and get their point across, which will irritate them.
You Might Experience Depression or Isolation
Those who can’t hear as well can’t engage actively with the world around them. You might feel alone, even when other people surround you. You can’t take part in active dinner conversation if you hear only a muted mumbling or experience tinnitus.
You may feel like you’re not living your life fully anymore. You can sit there and feel like a ghost. You’re no longer totally there, and that’s not an easy thing for anyone to experience.
What Can You Do About It?
As for what you can do about hearing loss, you might have multiple options, but it will start by you seeing a doctor. The doctor can test your hearing to see how poor it is.
If you irreparably damaged your hearing by going to a lot of rock concerts when you were younger, or you worked in the construction industry, there’s no regaining it. However, in many instances, you can get a hearing aid.
Hearing aids are much better now than they once were. Not only can they enhance many individuals’ hearing, but they’re also not very noticeable if you get one of the small ones. You can place it inside your ear, and no one will notice.
You should not let vanity prevent you from hearing your family and friends again. If you do not do it for yourself, you can at least do it for them.
They will appreciate that you got your hearing back to re-engage with them. That shows you care about them, and you want to be an active life participant.
