What to do if you have hearing loss
If you’ve concluded you have hearing loss — either by exhibiting these common hearing loss signs or failing an online hearing test — experts recommend you consult with someone who specializes in hearing issues. You can start with your doctor or general practitioner (GP), who will most likely refer you to a hearing healthcare professional. Or, you can go directly to a hearing healthcare professional, like an otolaryngologist (ENT doctor), audiologist or hearing aid specialist. The goal is to find a professional who specializes in hearing: someone who has the equipment, training and expertise to thoroughly evaluate your hearing and work with you to develop a personalized treatment solution.
See someone as soon as possible
Experts also recommend you treat hearing loss sooner rather than later. Study after study have linked untreated hearing loss to an array of issues like depression, anxiety, increased risk of falls and hospitalizations, and even dementia1. Also, the longer you live with impaired hearing, the longer and harder it will be to recover once treatment starts.
Insist on a tailored treatment solution
If hearing loss is confirmed during your appointment with a hearing healthcare professional, you’ll most likely be prescribed hearing aids. Hearing aids are by far the most common way to treat hearing loss. They can help the majority of people who have hearing loss, especially if the hearing aids have been fit by an experienced professional. Just as every person is unique, every person’s hearing needs are unique. That’s why it’s important that if you do get hearing aids, they are fit, programmed and customized to your specific hearing and lifestyle needs — and that you have access to proper follow-up and aftercare treatment.
Today’s hearing aids are miracles of modern engineering
Like other high-tech devices, hearing aids have improved significantly in recent years. They’ve become smaller, offer improved sound quality, and include new capabilities like fitness tracking, fall detection and language translation. From “invisible” solutions that fit deep inside your ear and are virtually undetectable, to wireless options that stream audio from your TV or phone, today’s hearing aids provide more natural hearing, fit more comfortably and perform more reliably than ever before.