Can you hear me now? Hey, turn that up! Could you repeat that? If you find these phrases are ones you’re using regularly, then you might be one of the 38 per cent of Canadians experiencing hearing loss. Thankfully, we’ve come a long way from the hearing aids of the past!
Hannah Lee, Director of Audiology and Clinical Audiologist at the Hearing Loss Clinic, answers the most common questions that she gets asked when someone suspects they may be experiencing difficulty hearing.
Q: How do I know if I have hearing loss?
A: Hearing loss can present in different ways for different people. Common signs include asking others to repeat themselves, turning the TV up, feeling like people are mumbling, not hearing the birds, ringing in the ears, or others commenting that you missed some sounds.
Q: If I have symptoms of hearing loss, what’s the next step?
A: Booking a hearing test - there’s no time like the present! We encourage baseline hearing testing for every person at every age. Sometimes we find out that our hearing is completely normal, and sometimes we find out that we’ve been compensating for some kind of hearing loss without even realizing it.
Q: What happens in a hearing test?
A: Your Hearing Health Care Professional will ask you some questions, look in your ears, and perform some objective and subjective measurements for your ears. You will be asked to push a button when you hear soft sounds and repeat certain words. At the end of the test, your clinician will go over the results with you.
Q: I’ve been diagnosed with hearing loss – what next?
A: Depending on the cause of your hearing loss, we may recommend a variety of treatments, e.g., wax removal, consultation with an Ear Nose and Throat Specialist, hearing aids, tinnitus retraining therapy, monitoring for middle ear fluid. Sometimes we recommend a combination of treatments!
Q: What happens if hearing loss goes untreated?
A: Untreated hearing loss has been proven to increase your risk of social isolation, depression, anxiety, and dementia.
Q: What do I need to know about hearing aids?
A: They have come a long way in recent years! Whistling, bulky hearing aids are a thing of the past. Today’s hearing aids are digital, automatic, comfortable, discreet, adjustable, and easy to manage. Hearing aids can be rechargeable and Bluetooth compatible too!
Visit the Hearing Loss Clinic in Creston at 1000 Northwest Blvd 13A or one of their other nine locations throughout the East Kootenays and in Calgary. For more information, or to book your appointment, visit Hearing Loss Clinic online.
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