As a mother, it’s important to hear your kids voices. You want to be able to engage in conversation with them and be able to talk to them about the things that matter. Any type of hearing impairment or issues is going to inhibit you from doing these things. It all starts with a hearing test.
Image by Neil Dodhia from Pixabay
We often neglect our ears and don’t think to have them tested but adults should get their hearing tested at least once, ideally after age 21 to identify any upcoming issues. Your doctor can do it during your annual physical exam and it’s good to ensure that you know where your hearing is and if there is anything untoward. Hearing loss is more common in people over 50 but that doesn’t mean you can’t have another hearing related condition such as Meniere’s disease. You don’t want it to affect your mood.
If you do need a hearing aid, should you get one?
Absolutely. If you have the option to do so, there is nothing wrong with getting one to assist your lifestyle. Hearing aids are typically recommended if your hearing test results show hearing loss across several pitches and so it is affecting different types of hearing. For example if you’re unable to hear low and higher pitches, such as an aeroplane and thunder (lower pitch) and whistles or child’s voice (high pitch). Hearing aids can be found at hearing and audiology clinics as well as online. You can learn more about adult hearing aids including the benefits of wearing them. If you do need a hearing aid, you can choose from a range of different ones, but most will fit snugly into the ear and they will not affect your daily life or routine. They are made to magnify the sounds that you hear and send the signals to the brain so you can hear the sounds as if they were through a microphone. They won’t be too loud of course but it may take a few weeks to get things just right. Hearing aids are discrete and shouldn’t be noticed, especially if you are a woman and can hide it well with your hair.
How to prevent hearing loss in the first place.
Prevention is better than the cure, they say but with hearing loss that isn’t always possible as it can just be a common ailment of getting older. However there are a few things that you could incorporate into your life to make things a little easier:
- Avoid loud noises – if you are around loud noises, always wear protection. Ear plugs will be best.
- Take care when listening to music – it’s easy to play your music loud but it can damage your ear over time.
- Protect your hearing during loud events and activities.
- Take precautions at work – especially if you’re in an industry that deals with loud sounds often.
- Get your hearing tested.
Be sensible and be aware, because your hearing is so precious and you want to protect it for the future generations too so you can play and enjoy conversations with your grandkids too.
