If you are one of the 37.5 million Americans experiencing hearing loss, you are not alone. This sometimes frightening condition can have a large effect on your daily life and become a frustrating reality. Realizing you are experiencing hearing loss is often difficult at first. Find out more about recognizing the signs of hearing loss with your doctor at South Carolina Ear, Nose and Throat in Columbia, SC.
Signs You Are Experiencing Hearing Loss
Many people experiencing the early signs of hearing loss do not recognize them at first. At its early stages, hearing loss may begin as small occurrences which may seem odd. For example, you may begin noticing that, when speaking on the telephone, you ask the person on the other end to repeat things more often than you used to. You may also begin to notice other people sound as though they are mumbling, especially in a noisy area with lots of background noise like a bar or restaurant. Perhaps your spouse complains that the television is too loud, but you genuinely thought that it was at a normal volume.
These are all signs of hearing loss and should be taken seriously. Additionally, family and friends are often the first to recognize these signs. If they tell you they think you may have hearing loss, take their opinion into account. If you experience these symptoms, you should schedule an appointment with your ear, nose and throat doctor for a hearing test.
Hearing Loss Treatment in Columbia, SC
A hearing test allows your doctor to pinpoint the severity of your hearing loss in order to offer the best treatment plan for you. This test involves placing headphones over the ears and indicating from which side of the headphones a tone sounds. After evaluating your hearing loss, your doctor may recommend a hearing aid. These devices fit inside of or around the ear and use a miniaturized microphone and speaker system to amplify outside sounds. Hearing aids come in all shapes, sizes and price ranges, making finding the right option for you easy with help from your doctor.
For more information on hearing loss, please contact your doctor at South Carolina Ear, Nose and Throat in Columbia, SC. Call (803) 408-3277 to schedule your hearing test today!