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  Hearing. For most of your life, it’s as natural as breathing. You listen without thinking. Converse with ease. Wake from sleep to the subtlest of audio cues. Yet little by little, things have changed. You realize how often you have to ask people to repeat themselves. How exhausting it’s become to attend a meeting. And how the TV is too loud for everyone but you. You still wake up and smell the coffee, but you haven’t been hearing its gentle drip – or half of what the morning FM deejay has been saying. What’s going on? Explore the topics above, learn about hearing loss, including the importance of hearing, how to spot the signs of hearing loss, either in yourself or someone close to you, and intriguing facts and myths about hearing loss. Maybe you already know you or a family member is dealing with hearing loss. Then again, it may be happening so gradually you’re not sure. Unlike many conditions, hearing loss is often hard to detect in its early stages. The kind of signs to look for may differ based on your perspective—that is, whether you’re checking for yourself or a loved one. Click the appropriate link at left to recognize the signs of hearing loss in someone else or to evaluate your own situation. While hearing loss isn’t reversible, most age or noise related loss can be managed and often compensated for. Sometimes that means medication or surgery. But just as eyeglasses are used to correct most vision problems, hearing instruments are used to treat most kinds of hearing loss. Any treatment starts with a screening of your hearing by a hearing professional. Once you know the nature and extent of the hearing loss, you’ll be able to make your own decisions about treatment. But first, take the opportunity to educate yourself about hearing and how hearing loss occurs. |
