Stages of Hearing Loss

DENIAL

One of the first things a person with early hearing loss may notice is that the sounds “S” and “F” become harder to distinguish. Additionally, they may misunderstand what people are saying during a conversation and/or start to experience tinnitus. As these symptoms set in, people tend to compensate for their hearing loss by asking people to repeat themselves, turning the volume on the TV or radio up, or placing the blame on the other person for not speaking loud enough or clearly. They are in denial that the issue is, in fact, hearing loss.

HURT/ANGER

As denial really sets in, someone with hearing loss is then likely to feel hurt, angry and defensive. Their tolerance with family members and social situations may decline as they misinterpret words and conversations more frequently. Friends and family members may find the person with hearing loss to be hard to live with and be around, causing the person to isolate themselves.

AVOIDANCE/WITHDRAWAL

A person who begins to isolate themselves will withdraw and avoid situations and social occasions where there will be a lot of people and/or background noises. Hobbies may become less enjoyable as loneliness sets in, and they will participate less and less. They will develop excuses for not being able to attend family outings/events. Eventually, the person may even develop low self-esteem and depression.

ACCEPTANCE

This is arguably the most important stage, since acceptance of hearing loss allows a person to feel comfortable considering options for treatment. Scheduling an appointment with a hearing health professional will provide a comprehensive assessment and diagnosis. The diagnosis will determine the level of hearing loss (listed below), followed by recommendations for auditory rehabilitation with hearing aids.

Mild hearing loss: Background noise makes it hard to understand conversations fully.
Moderate hearing loss: Asks people to repeat themselves, especially on the phone.
Severe hearing loss: Hard to follow a conversation without the use of a hearing aid.
Profound hearing loss: Cannot hear other people talking or understand what is being said without hearing aids.

ADJUSTMENT

Upon diagnosis, the introduction of hearing aids will allow someone to hear sounds and voices that they haven’t experienced for some time. The brain will need to adjust to processing sounds while drowning out background noises and adapt to newfound hearing in social situations. Your hearing health professional will provide encouragement and training so that you can redevelop your hearing and begin to participate in family and social situations again!

At Virginia Hearing Group we believe your hearing is essential to your overall wellbeing. When you invest with us, you don’t just buy a hearing aid, you receive a hearing healthcare plan. There is no additional charge for follow up appointments, hearing aid cleaning, adjustments and at least once a year hearing tests. You also get a 75-day trial period with a new hearing aid, a 3 year warranty including loss and damage and our 3 year free battery program. We know this is a long-term investment and we support you every step of the way.

Request an appointment today!