Its resolution time! Maybe you are going to try and hit the gym more, take a hydro-exercise class at the pool, eat healthy, absorb a little more cultural activities or devote yourself to a little more “me” time. Whatever the resolution, resolve to take a step towards better hearing with an annual hearing test at HearCare Rhode Island. These are just some of the reasons why it’s a great idea!

Hearing loss creeps up on you

You are proactive about your health concerns and that’s why you get a physical each year. You want to make sure that if there’s something that you should be concerned about, you address it right away. It’s the same thing with getting an annual hearing test. You want to make sure your hearing loss isn’t going unnoticed. Research indicates people with hearing loss don’t notice it until it is fairly advanced.
A hearing evaluation will set a hearing level baseline, so you know if there’s an issue. It will give you peace of mind because you will be able to tell immediately at each subsequent test if something needs to be taken care of.

Many people experience hearing loss

You keep yourself fit and active and you don’t want to believe you are getting older, but chances are that you’ll experience hearing loss over time. People of any age can have hearing loss due to medical issues, exposure to loud noise levels for a prolonged period of time, or simply because you are getting older. Check out these statistics on hearing loss.

About 12.5% of children in the United States between 6 and 19 years old have had some hearing damage because of overexposure to loud noise.
14% of American adults between the age of 45 and 64 have some type of hearing loss.
The number goes up as you age – 30 to 40% of adults in the United States over the age of 65 have some kind of hearing loss.
50% of adults over the age of 75 have some type of hearing loss.

Untreated hearing loss is not something to be taken lightly. The longer you wait the worse your hearing will get. Sadly, studies indicate many live with hearing loss for anywhere between 5 and 15 years before they seek treatment. You wouldn’t think of living with untreated diabetes or high blood pressure for that long. And think of all the things you would miss because of untreated hearing loss!

Health concerns linked to hearing loss

Untreated hearing loss can lead to a loss of income because you may misunderstand directions, creating extra work for others, or not completing your tasks as expected. This creates tension in the workplace.
Untreated hearing loss has also been linked to heart disease, dementia, depression, sleep apnea and brain function shrinkage.

Pay attention to the signs

You may have already noticed some signs that indicate you are experiencing hearing loss. Think about these questions: Are you having problems hearing conversations on the phone? Are you struggling to hear in crowded restaurants or other noisy environments? Are you asking people to repeat what they just said more often than before? Are you straining to understand something a speaker is saying in a meeting or at a conference? Do voices seem muffled at times? Is it hard determining the direction a sound came from? Is it harder to understand children’s voices or people with higher pitched voices? Are you turning up the volume on the television or the radio louder than others find comfortable? Are you avoiding certain social situations because you think it might be too loud for you to follow the conversation? Have others mentioned to you that you seem to be having hearing issues? Are you experiencing ringing or buzzing in your ears?

If you answered yes to two or more of these questions, you probably have hearing loss, and need to schedule a hearing test as soon as possible.

Make a new resolution

Make a new resolution, and get an annual hearing test. Call us today at HearCare Rhode Island and schedule a hearing test to take control of your hearing health. There’s no time like the present to begin your journey to better hearing.