Hearing loss test

How do I know I have a hearing loss?

Recognizing a hearing loss in yourself or someone you know is the first step toward improving the situation. Often, among the first sounds which "disappear" are those in the higher frequencies, that is, those which are most high-pitched. From the listener’s point of view these sounds include:

Women’s and children’s voices Birds’ singing Other symptoms of hearing loss include: Difficulty hearing in public gatherings – concert halls, theaters, house of worship where sound sources are far from the listener. Difficulty hearing television and/or on the telephone. Difficulty understanding conversation within a group of people. Adults avoiding group meetings, social occasions, or family gatherings where listening may be difficult or where one may feel embarrassed about misunderstanding what is being said. It’s important to remember that hearing loss is generally a gradual process that goes undetected due to the body’s incredible ability to develop subtle coping strategies. These strategies include: Asking others to repeat themselves. Turning the head to one side while listening to sounds or speakers. Turning up volume levels on TV, radio or stereo. Avoiding social gatherings. Misinterpreting a spoken message. At some point, however, a hearing loss will be noticed and by then it will probably be too late to restore normal hearing. The only sure way to determine a hearing loss is to get a hearing test from a qualified Hearing Health Care Professional. Contact Hearpro today to schedule your complete hearing evaluation. For additonal information or to schedule a hearing test click here. Psychological Consequences of Hearing Loss The long-term consequences of hearing impairment are many and varied. Most people are familiar with the obvious changes that occur with degenerative sensorineural hearing loss (nerve deafness). Such as the constant need to have words or sentences repeated the misunderstandings that occur during conversation, the apparent lack of attention and the louder than normal speech. However, some of the most devastating consequences of hearing loss are psychological and have significant impact on social relationships with family and friends.The following is an excerpt from Cognitive Manifestations in Unmitigated Hearing Loss by Max Chartrand, PhD, BC-HIS as published in The Hearing Professional.The Greatest Effect is Psychological The consensus among many of today’s audiological researchers is that "the greatest single handicap in hearing loss is psychological." In fact, the author has spent most of his life experiencing the very subject first hand, with a progressive severe-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss, and the greater part of those years researching and teaching about discoveries form both the laboratory and real life experiences in the psychological and psychosocial domains of hearing health. The indisputable evidence is there.Following is an incomplete list of potential psychological problems that have been reported as arising, directly or indirectly from hearing loss of all types and degrees:Stress, anxiety Distrust, paranoia Insecurity Superior/inferior complex Lowered Self-esteem Denial and disbelief Defensiveness Anger, frustration Social withdrawal, isolation Socially inappropriate behavior or responses Bitterness, resentment Overt aggressiveness Lethargy, resignation, passivity Depression, cognitive dysfunction Emotionally driven hypertension Substance and familial abuse These conditions can be and are manifested in normal hearing individuals, as well. What distinguishes individuals with hearing impairment form those with normal hearing in the above manifestations are the unavoidable and near inescapable debilitative factors found in unmitigated hearing impairment. Prevalent factors may be: 1. Without intervention, the effects of hearing impairment can be virtually pervasive in all aspects of life. 2. Progressive hearing impairment is insidious and can stifle personal progress in the various stages of life-from educational and social achievements during childhood to familial, career and retirement expectations during adulthood. 3. Interpersonal relationships bonding can be significantly hampered or severed without appropriate auditory and communicative function. It is the pervasive and insidious nature of hearing loss that often creates the exaggerated manifestations in those with acquired hearing loss-its invisibility to all, including the sufferer. Presumably, rehabilitation would minimize those same manifestations and allow a resumption of a more normal lifestyle and cognitive connection. Whether rehabilitation is made complete through appropriate amplification (i.e. hearing aids), or accommodated through a mosaic of cochlear implantation, assistive devices, coping strategies and acceptance of limitations doesn’t seem to matter.In other words, once outcomes are weighed against available solutions, realistic expectations can allow a sense of "normality" and, therefore, minimal psychological effects. In this way, even those with severe losses may enjoy an appreciable degree of normalcy in their lives, but only after all viable options of medical, technological and rehabilitative resources have been utilized.Denial and Defensiveness Denial is one of an individual’s first responses upon learning of their hearing impairment. It makes little difference if the initial "assessment" came from a spouse, a close friend or even a trained professional. Most individuals, upon first hearing the unwanted news, feel as if they are being accused of something over which they have some control. Does it mean that I am inadequate? Do I appear to be mentally slow? Am I somehow different from everyone else, less of a person? What brings the impaired person to this point is the near Pavlovian (social) reflexes developed from being accused repeatedly of "not paying attention," "hearing when you want to," "not listening anymore" and the like.Those harsh accusations are the natural outcroppings of innumerable experiences during critical moments in one’s life. In situationally challenging listening situations, even mild (otherwise undetected) loss becomes exposed, but only in psychosocial disguise. Emotions flare, patience is tried and rationale is searched for. So at the very beginning of, for instance, a mild loss, emotional walls are already being built.Over time, accusations get returned "in kind." Common responses are "you mumble," "there’s to much noise in the background," "I was busy doing something else when you" and "this time you can go alone." These typify the unintentional revenge of one who has suffered through recurrent episode of humiliation as a result of their undiscovered/unmitigated hearing loss.For additonal information or to schedule a hearing test click here.