You’ve found out your hearing is not within normal limits, or you’re concerned that things might not be normal. There are so many questions - so where do you start? How bad is it really? Is it going to get worse? How do I treat it? What if I don’t treat it and just let it be? These are all normal questions that my patients ask me - usually with a little fear or worry. Will my hearing continue to decline if I have hearing loss? The short answer is yes, it’s progressive, but let’s look at things a little deeper.
Let’s start with the first line of questions on this which is how bad it is really. Your audiologist or hearing specialist should have explained this to you during your appointment. If you have the graph or audiogram from your appointment, we can start there. Generally, markings toward the top of the graph are better hearing, towards the bottom things get worse. The further down the graph you are, the worse your hearing is.
Anything that falls below 20db (the red line on the chart) is cause for concern. If your hearing is at the 20 mark it would be considered borderline. Normally we recommend hearing evaluations more frequently if you have any markings at 20 or below to monitor the progression.
Untreated hearing loss tends to get worse faster. No one can predict the future, but that is typically what happens. Even with treatment, hearing can continue to decline but usually does so at a slower rate. Here are some tips for slowing progression:
- You should avoid loud noise as much as possible.
- If you are working in a noisy environment like a factory or machine shop, wear ear protection, but it is advisable to find a job in a less noisy environment. Many times, if there is another suitable job in less noisy where you work, your employer should accommodate you.
What are signs that your hearing is getting worse?
- People Mumble - no one looks at you when talking, and they sound like they have marbles in their mouths. This is the number one complaint I hear from patients when they first come in for a hearing evaluation.
- It is harder to follow conversations - especially in noise. If you need to work hard to hear or to process what people are saying, you may be working too hard to hear, so you should get an evaluation done.
- People are talking too fast - while it does seem that as the world continues to move faster and faster and younger people seem to speed up and use different lingo, this is a warning sign you should investigate.
- Others complain the TV is too loud. If you are receiving this feedback from others, it’s probably uncomfortable or noticeably too loud for them. Most people don’t say anything about it until it’s uncomfortable or distracting to them.
- You have been told you talk too loudly. Many times, as people lose hearing, they aren’t able to hear themselves either and start talking loudly to compensate. It’s hard to tell you because your voice sounds normal to you.
- You have ringing or other sounds in your ears that no one else hears. This is usually labeled as tinnitus, which can be a sign of hearing loss. As hearing declines, this can become more noticeable.
Just like anything else, with our body it’s important to take care of what we have. As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. If you are having any struggles or already know you have hearing loss, it’s important to get it checked annually to make sure you are receiving the help you need.
If you have hearing devices, wear them daily to help slow down the progression of the loss. Find a provider you trust and ask any questions you need to feel comfortable with what is happening and take time to adjust.
If you’re ready to have a conversation about your hearing and see what your options are for treatment, give us a call or schedule online for a complimentary hearing assessment near you.
