Health x Wellness
Losing your hearing? Don’t give up, all is not lost
This wellness series on hearing loss is brought to you by nessa™. To learn more about nessa™ and their unique and affordable hearing aid services, visit their website at nessa.asia.
There’s something important that you need to be aware of. Losing your hearing may not be as scary as you think.
Hearing loss is a common phenomenon and occurs gradually. But there’s no reason to fret if you know what to do. It is inconvenient, but it is also a fact of life. After all, as you get older your body decides to go into ‘retirement mode’, and understandably, your ears may decide to do so as well. Hearing loss is a natural condition as we grow older: in 2013, a health screening programme for seniors showed that hearing impairment (moderate hearing loss in at least one ear) for people aged 65 years and above was 87 percent.
And it’s no secret that hearing loss can impact your mental state and overall sense of well-being. Studies have shown that it has been tied to social isolation, depression, and a decrease in the quality of life.
But, it is also true that the negative impact mentioned above can be easily prevented if you do the right thing.
The fact is, you don’t have to put up with the inconvenience. By nipping the problem in the bud, you can live life as you would if you had normal hearing, just by fitting a hearing aid and taking care of your ears by minimising exposure to loud noises. In short, we all have to be a little more proactive.
Firstly, you need to know that there are different degrees of hearing loss, ranging from mild, moderate, severe or profound.
In real life situations, this means you will not be able to hear household noises (around 50dB) as well as most conversations (60 dB) when moderate damage is done. With severe hearing loss, you will most probably require a hearing aid to keep up with a conversation.
Mild hearing loss: 21-40dB / Moderate: 41-70dB / Severe: 71-90dB
As you can see, mild hearing loss can seem almost imperceptible and you usually suspect something is amiss only when simple things like holding a conversation become difficult for no apparent reason. Because loss of hearing happens subtly over a long period of time, many people may not know if something that they have been doing is causing damage.
Most affected people suffer from sensorineural hearing loss. What it means is that the nerves carrying signals from your inner ear to your brain have deteriorated, often due to the onset of age. Sensorineural hearing loss is permanent and irreversible; but don’t forget, you can manage it if you act swiftly.
So if you are over 50 or if you are constantly exposed to loud noises, get a hearing test done annually so you can uncover any impairment early. The sooner you address it, the quicker you can get back to your usual lifestyle – but keep the noise down this time!
To sum up, here are some suggestions on how you can protect yourself from the negative long-term effects of hearing loss:
- Notice the warning signs
Prevention is better than cure, and early action brings the most benefits. If you find that you are not able to have a normal conversation with family or friends despite being in a quiet environment, or if you find yourself having to ask someone to repeat themselves multiple times, or having to increase the volume of the TV to be able to hear dialogue, do a check up immediately. Better still, make it a point from now on to go for an annual check-up.
- Consult your GP or an ENT Specialist
Before doing any hearing tests, you might want to consult your GP to run a physical examination to determine whether an infection or ear wax is the cause of your hearing loss. If the GP thinks there is a physical block or an infection, they will refer you to an ENT Specialist for a further check-up.
- Get a free hearing test by nessa™’s audiologists
There are many options out there, but nessa™ is one worth checking out. They provide a free hearing test to determine if you are suffering from hearing loss, but more importantly, they are the world’s first provider of a subscription package that includes premium quality hearing aids, home fitting and tuning. They place great emphasis on follow-ups and customer support to help customers acclimatise to their hearing aids.
What sets nessa™ apart is that they are focused on addressing the difficulties that people face in trying to improve their condition with hearing aids. Their unique solution also breaks down traditional barriers of cost, inconvenience and stigma associated with hearing aids, and offers users an affordable and fuss-free opportunity to have better hearing and a better life.
To register for a free hearing test at nessa™, go to this link.
