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Hearing
loss is called the invisible disability.
Hearing impaired people live in
a
world where others, even their families, expect them to hear normally.
They may be ignored, ridiculed, or be the target of anger from strangers,
family, and friends. Stress and frustration mounts as the hearing loss
progresses.
There
can be a detrimental psychological impact when hearing loss occurs. Some
may even deny the existence of the problem, all the while becoming more
overwhelmed by their inability to understand conversation. It can be
exhausting trying to guess at mumbled-sounding words and trying to fill in
the gaps of conversation all day long.
It
is not surprising that some people with hearing loss eventually decide
that they can no longer enjoy social activities. They may become
withdrawn, first from friends and later from their families. Isolation,
stress, and loneliness can sometimes lead to depression.
If
you have noticed yourself, a friend, or loved one in this scenario, it is
not too late to seek help from an audiologist. The first step is to have
your hearing ability evaluated. This is done by taking a simple, painless
hearing test. This examination is usually performed in a sound treated
booth, which ensures that extraneous room noises will not interfere with
the test. The audiologist will ask you to repeat simple words to see how
softly you can hear them. Another list of words will be presented at a
comfortable listening level, and you will need to repeat the words back.
The test also includes listening to both treble and bass pitched tones to
see how softly you can detect them. The graph of your hearing test results
is called an audiogram.
If
you or someone you know experiences any of these difficulties, they may
have a hearing loss. Consider a hearing test by a licensed
audiologist.
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