Tips To Manage Your Hearing Loss
According to Johns Hopkins medical professionals, nearly one in three adults 65 and older experience hearing loss. While it can be scary to lose your hearing, most age-related hearing loss is manageable and, with the right tools, doesn’t have to affect your quality of life.
What Is Hearing Loss?
Hearing loss refers to any changes in your hearing that make it difficult to hear. Like many health aspects, hearing loss is a spectrum. Doctors can define your hearing loss as mild, moderate, severe, or profound hearing loss.
A mild hearing loss would mean you might need to turn up the volume on your television or ask people to speak up, but it doesn’t affect your quality of life too much. On the opposite end of the spectrum, profound hearing loss is when you’re deaf with little to no hearing.
Age-Related Hearing Loss
Typically, when seniors experience hearing loss, it’s age-related hearing loss, also known as presbycusis. Age-related hearing loss is a gradual healing loss that usually occurs in both ears. Since it’s a gradual hearing loss, many people don’t notice trouble hearing until months or years into their condition. There are many risk factors for age-related hearing loss, such as smoking, heart disease, diabetes, and a history of hearing loss in your family.
Another condition that commonly affects hearing is tinnitus. Tinnitus is a ringing in the ears, although it may sound like a buzz or hiss. Tinnitus is usually a symptom of an ear or throat condition, such as an ear canal blockage or sinus infection. While tinnitus usually goes away on its own, you should have it checked by a doctor if it lasts more than a few days.
Tips For Managing Hearing Loss
Hearing loss can be one of the challenging aspects of aging. Thankfully, there are ways to manage your hearing loss so that you can continue to enjoy a quality life.
- Be open with loved ones about your hearing. Don’t assume people know you have trouble hearing. Talk to your loved ones about your hearing loss so they can work on effective communication methods, such as speaking up or using body language.
- Talk to your doctor about hearing aids. You don’t need to be deaf to use a hearing aid. Many types of hearing aids can help adjust the volume of your words so you can hear better.
- Get a professional ear cleaning. We also know cotton swabs are ineffective for cleaning your ears and do more harm than good. Professional ear cleanings can remove any build-up in the ear canal that may cause additional hearing difficulties.
- Continue to protect your ears. Just because you have hearing loss doesn’t mean you can start neglecting your ear health. Don’t listen to devices at a louder volume than you need, and always use ear protection in loud environments.
- Use assistive devices. Assistive devices are equipment or technology to navigate hearing loss, like a phone amplifier or using subtitles.
How Visiting Angels Can Help If You Have Hearing Loss
Hearing loss can create obstacles in your ability to care for yourself, but losing your hearing doesn’t mean losing your independence. At Visiting Angels Portage, we work with seniors to help them age safely and comfortably at home, no matter their conditions. Caregivers can assist with nonmedical tasks around the home like light housekeeping, medication reminders, and transportation to local errands and appointments.
Learn more about our at-home care services by contacting us online or calling your local office in Ravenna at 330-297-2000.