Hearing loss diagnosis
At your first appointment with a hearing care professional, he or she will ask you questions about your health and hearing, to understand your unique situation.
You’ll then take an in-depth hearing test called an audiogram. This shows exactly which sounds and frequencies you can and can’t hear. Your hearing care professional will use this information to help you choose the best hearing aid for you.
Hearing loss treatment: is there a cure for hearing loss?
People often ask if hearing aids are a hearing loss cure. Hearing aids don’t cure hearing loss but they are an effective hearing loss treatment.
Every person’s hearing and hearing loss is unique - there is no one size fits all. Your hearing aid will be the right fit for your needs and preferences as well as your degree of hearing loss.
It can take about two to three months to adjust to a new hearing aid. Because you have adjusted to hearing loss gradually over time, it’s important to gradually adjust to the amplification of the sounds transmitted through the hearing aid as well. It’s a good idea to gradually increase the number of hours you wear your hearing aid while you are getting used to it. Your hearing care professional will support and guide you in this.
It’s normal to take some time to adjust to wearing a hearing aid. Everyone goes through this. It’s just like getting contact lenses for the first time or a new prescription in your glasses.
Why improve your hearing?
Treating your hearing loss and improving your hearing can:
- Help you stay connected with your friends and loved ones
- Increase your ability to participate in conversations
- Make it easier for the people around you
- Give you more confidence in social situations
- Keep alert to important sounds like alarms, approaching cars, the phone or a doorbell
- Bring back the subtle noises in nature and music that you love
- Keep your brain active and engaged
Hearing loss does not occur from one day to the next, but over a period of time. That is why many people slowly get used to it. You may even wonder - why do anything about it? But addressing hearing loss is one of the best things you can do to improve your well-being and quality of life. Hearing aids can help you feel more connected to the people and to the world around you. They can help you feel more confident and in control. Most importantly, they help your brain stay sharp, active and engaged.
Taking action after a hearing loss diagnosis can also make it easier for the people around you. They’ll no longer need to repeat themselves as often or make an extra effort so that you can hear them.
Why is it important to diagnose hearing loss and treat it early?
Ever heard the expression “use it or lose it”? This is a good way of describing the brain’s ability to process sounds and recognize speech.
The job of the ears is to transmit sound information to the brain. It’s your brain that actually “hears” the sounds and processes them for understanding. If your ears stop sending certain sounds to your brain, eventually your brain will lose the ability to process those sounds and recognize certain parts of speech.
This can affect your mental sharpness and is one of the main reasons why it is important to take action as early as possible – in addition to the other benefits like being more socially engaged and hearing the important and enjoyable sounds around you.