Catching a hearing problem early will help keep you hearing your best! Even a slight difficulty understanding in social groups can impact how your brain receives sounds.
For example, consider that you’re starting to miss some of the speech sounds that may be “out of your range”. This makes it harder to understand others, especially in background noise.
The brain becomes used to these “gaps” of sound and eventually “forgets” that these sounds exist. Over time, the nerves weaken from lack of stimulation. Eventually the nerves atrophy from disuse and the brain is unable to recognize these sounds or give them meaning.
It is important to keep your ears and brain stimulated with the entire range of sounds. You may not know if you have a reduction in a particular hearing range, but a baseline hearing check will tell you exactly how you hear. Catch it early and preserve what you have! “Hear Well for Life”™.
Dr. Anita Carroll is a licensed Audiologist and owner of Hearing Solutions in the Triangle, PLLC with over 25 years of experience. Have a few questions – she can be contacted here. If you’re looking to check your hearing range or improve listening skills visit our online scheduling here.
