If you’ve recently begun to experience hearing loss, or if it’s something you’ve dealt with for a long time, but are learning to manage and cope with a new device or hearing aid, it can be a little stressful. It can be hard to deal with the uncertainty of losing one of your senses, but the good news is, it can certainly be managed with a combination of proper treatment, testing, and diagnosis. 

Depending on the type and severity of your hearing loss, there may be various options available to you, including surgery, hearing aids/devices, or other courses of treatment. For some, who have severely diminished hearing that is progressive, or those who have completely lost their hearing, restoring may not be an option, but there are still other ways to manage the issue. 

Regardless of the severity and type of your hearing loss, you likely want to consult a hearing loss guide to help you navigate the issues you’re experiencing. Learning about the process of getting a hearing test, the different types of hearing loss and what can cause them, different courses of treatment, as well as the different types of hearing aids on the market are useful bits of information that will help you going forward as you make decisions on what to do about your own hearing loss. 

The first thing you should do is make an appointment at a hearing center or audiologist, who will consult with you, learn about your symptoms, answer any questions you may have and more. They’ll likely want to conduct a hearing test, which is a painless and relatively quick process, consisting of having several tones administered in different frequencies and pitches. You may also have a physical exam. These exams will help determine your diagnosis and what is causing your hearing loss. From there, the doctor will advise a course of treatment, such as a hearing aid (which come in a wide variety of sizes, styles and types), or in some rare cases, surgery. 

It is a common misconception that hearing loss only happens to elderly people. This simply isn’t true. Nor is hearing loss solely a progressive issue that happens as you get older. Hearing loss can be caused by a number of factors, including injury, sudden illness, side effects of other illnesses, damage, and even genetics. Having a detailed health history as well as writing down any illnesses or injuries you may have had, or exposure to harmful loud equipment is helpful as it will help the doctor determine the root cause of your diminished hearing and secure a diagnosis. They can also tell you from this information if your hearing loss will get worse, or if you’re dealing with an issue that will remain constant. 

In many cases, your hearing loss can be managed and in some cases, even restored. It’s worth seeing an audiologist and having a hearing test done ASAP to get your hearing issues under control.