Do You Need A Hearing Aid For Mild Hearing Loss?

Is it getting a little more difficult to hear, especially over the phone or in a noisy setting? Maybe you regularly find yourself increasing the TV or radio’s volume. Alternatively, you may feel like certain people mumble and need to be asked to repeat themselves.

These are early warning indicators of hearing loss. Mild hearing loss is increasingly prevalent, and the number of people who live with some sort of hearing loss has been steadily rising. However, does that mean that you need to start using a hearing aid?

What is Mild Hearing Loss?

There are different levels of hearing loss, from mild to severe. If you have mild hearing loss, it’s not too bad, and you should be able to get by in most social situations.

But “mild” hearing loss isn’t harmless, despite how it sounds. It can still have a big impact on your quality of life and your ability to talk to friends and coworkers. And because it’s not too bad, these effects might not be as clear.

Mild hearing loss is when you can’t hear sounds that are softer than around 25dBs for adults and 15dBs for children. This includes sounds like people talking quietly, water dripping, leaves rustling, feet walking on floors or carpets, and birds singing. You might have trouble hearing both low-pitched and high-pitched (called “frequency”) sounds in that range, but most people lose their ability to hear high-frequency sounds first.

Normal, mild, moderate, moderately severe, severe, and profound are all types of hearing loss. An audiogram is one of the tests you’ll take as part of a hearing evaluation. It shows these ranges. Normal hearing for an adult is between 0-25dBs across all frequencies. Children have normal hearing between 0-15dBs.

It’s About More Than Hearing Loss

In most cases, hearing loss develops over time. Hearing loss can occur from chronic exposure to loud noises, which can destroy the delicate hair cells of the inner ear. When these hair cells are damaged beyond repair, it causes a decline in hearing because they are unable to transmit signals to the brain.

An individual may initially experience only mild hearing loss, where only particular volume levels are affected. Even if you don’t think you’re missing much, hearing loss can still have a negative impact on your life. It can make it harder to communicate with others and go about your daily activities without assistance.

Depression, anxiety and other mental health issues might result from this. New research suggests that people who have hearing loss have a higher risk of developing dementia as they age due to a faster rate of tissue death in the brain.

The benefits of treating minor hearing loss before it worsens are numerous, including but not limited to the improvement of one’s physical and mental health and the alleviation of the frustrations associated with diminished hearing.

In other words, using a hearing aid for mild hearing loss can be beneficial.

Take Appropriate Action

Accepting that you have mild hearing loss and taking action to improve your hearing is the most important, but also the most challenging, thing you can do to prevent additional hearing loss. It’s important to get hearing aids as soon as you notice a problem so that your quality of life isn’t compromised.

In addition, those who begin using hearing aids at an early stage, when hearing loss is still modest, have a significantly lower risk of developing related mental health issues, such as dementia. They can also get used to wearing them faster than people who have had more serious losses.

A hearing aid does not have to be a cumbersome, outdated device to help the hard-of-hearing hear better. Modern digital hearing aids can be almost undetectable in appearance due to their miniaturization and sleek design.

If your hearing loss is mild to moderate, you can choose from a wide variety of hearing aids, including those that fit entirely within the ear canal. These are hidden from view deep within the ear canal, yet they greatly improve your hearing and are worth the effort. While compact and unobtrusive, some hearing aids lack the power necessary to assist those with profound hearing loss.

The best thing to do is to make an appointment with a hearing instrument specialist (HIS) for more advice on what kind of hearing aid is best for you, and how to properly care for and use it. To learn more and get expert advice, please don’t hesitate to contact the Center for Better Hearing at 510-768-7091.