Dealing With Hearing Loss
Hearing loss is one of the many changes the body undergoes as you age. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, nearly one-third of adults experience hearing loss by age 65. While hearing loss is common, growing even more common the older you get, it’s helpful to understand the causes of hearing loss and how you can preserve your hearing as you age.
What Is Hearing Loss?
Hearing loss is a condition that affects one's ability to hear in one or both ears. Like many conditions, hearing loss is on a spectrum and can range from mild to severe, the most profound of which is total deafness.
There are many causes and risk factors for hearing loss, but the type related to age is called presbycusis. This type of hearing loss occurs gradually with age. You may notice you must turn the television up louder or have trouble hearing people in busy environments. Other signs can include the inability to hear high-pitched sounds or tinnitus (ringing of the ears).
How Can I Preserve My Hearing?
Not everything about your hearing is within your control, but many environmental and lifestyle factors can affect your hearing.
- Avoid loud noises. Noise-induced hearing loss is one of the more common forms of hearing loss. It develops after years of exposure to loud noises. Whenever you’re listening to a device or using headphones, listen to things at the lowest possible level that you can hear.
- Wear ear protection. There may be situations when you can’t help the noise around you. Wear ear protection if you are going somewhere loud, such as a concert, parade, or sporting event.
- Get a hearing test. Hearing tests are helpful because they allow doctors to monitor changes in your hearing. If a doctor notices changes, they can provide preventative treatment or suggest ways to keep your hearing healthy.
- Stay updated on immunizations. Some illnesses, like measles and bacterial infections, can cause hearing loss. Immunizations can help prevent these illnesses and preserve your hearing.
- Don’t put things in your ears. Doing so can cause trauma and damage to parts of your ear, which may affect your hearing. Yes, this includes cotton swabs.
- Clean your ears properly. If you don’t clean them, ear wax can build up, resulting in temporary hearing loss. Clean your ears with a damp cloth or use an ear wax softener to remove buildup.
Tips For Managing Hearing Loss
Hearing loss can happen, even if you do everything within your power to prevent it. But just because you have hearing loss doesn’t mean you can’t continue to live a fulfilled life. Many treatments and tools are available to help you manage your hearing loss, whether it’s mild or severe.
- Continue to get your hearing tested. Age-related hearing loss is a progressive condition that changes with time. Hearing tests help doctors understand how quickly hearing loss is progressing so they know what treatment and preventive options you have.
- Talk to your doctor about hearing aids. You don’t need to be completely deaf to use hearing aids. Many older adults use hearing aids to help with moderate hearing loss and ringing of the ears.
- Talk to a doctor about cochlear implants. If you have more severe hearing loss, your doctor may suggest a cochlear implant, which is a small device implanted into your ear.
- Lean into subtitles. Nearly all electronic devices and online programs have subtitle options that allow you to read audio.
Hearing Loss Help From Visiting Angels
Living with hearing loss can be a big change, and it may even make a few daily tasks more difficult to navigate. Thankfully, dealing with hearing loss does not mean an end to independent living if you work with a Visiting Angels caregiver.
Our caregivers work with seniors throughout Grand Junction to ensure they can live safely and comfortably at home, regardless of their physical health. Caregivers can assist with various tasks like light housekeeping, personal grooming, cooking, mobility, transportation, and medication reminders. We also have specialized care options for seniors with chronic conditions or dementia.
We understand it may be difficult to conceptualize what working with a caregiver means, so we offer all potential clients a complimentary at-home consultation. This meeting is a great opportunity for our team to learn about you and your needs. It’s also a great time for you to ask questions and visualize what life with a caregiver can be like.
Contact our Grand Junction office to learn more.