Common Causes of Hearing Loss
Plenty of things can damage your hearing. Here, learn the most common causes and what you can do to protect your ears against them.
4 Signs You Need Hearing Aids
It’s not just an age thing: While you might think only the elderly need hearing aids, the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders reports that one in eight Americans over the age of 12 has some level of hearing loss.
The good news? You don’t have to go through life struggling to hear. With hearing aids, things that feel challenging now — like following a conversation at a party or talking on the phone — become easy again. And Anil K. Gupta, MD, offers them right here at Gupta ENT Center in Royal Oak, Michigan.
Should you consider hearing aids? Here are four signs that it might be time.
You say “what?” a lot
How often do you have to ask someone to repeat themselves? Most people need to ask for clarification from time to time. But start monitoring how frequently you ask someone to say something again.
Pay attention on phone calls, too. If you feel like you have a harder time understanding someone when you can’t see their face, it might mean you’re looking for visual clues to fill in the gaps from less-than-perfect hearing.
You pretend you heard something you didn’t
If the old “smile and nod” has become a go-to move for you, it’s a sign you’re struggling. We’ve all been there: Asking someone “what?” for the third time feels too awkward, so you pretend you know what they’ve said.
If this socially uncomfortable scenario creeps into your life frequently, though, hearing aids could help. Imagine never having to hope you guessed at the right response again.
You turn up the volume
Most of us have a decibel range that we usually set our TV at. The same goes for the car radio. Have you noticed any changes in that area?
If you find yourself reaching for the remote or turning the dial to crank up the volume on a regular basis, it’s a pretty clear indicator that you’re not hearing as well as you once did.
You dread big groups
Does ambient noise make it hard for you to follow a conversation? Do you have a hard time making out what someone’s saying if they’re not looking directly at you? Both of those signal that your ears aren’t pulling their weight.
If you’ve scaled back your social engagements because you have a difficult time understanding in large group settings, your ears are likely to blame.
Fortunately, if these signs sound familiar, Gupta ENT Center is your one-stop shop. Here, Dr. Gupta can determine if you have hearing loss and would benefit from hearing aids. If so, he doesn’t have to refer you to a specialist. Instead, we can fit you for hearing aids from the comfort and convenience of our office.
Don’t go through life struggling to hear. If you’re ready to find out what hearing aids can do for you, call our office at (248) 308-5971 to schedule your appointment today.
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New Patients Welcomed!
Gupta ENT Center and Dr. Gupta are accepting new patients! Do you feel your hearing isn't what it use to be? Do you have ringing in your ears? All issues we can help you with. Call 248-549-9035 and explore the various hearing services we offer.