Hearing Loss
Information on hearing loss and hearing health
At our hearing center located in West Orange, NJ, we offer educational resources and treatment for hearing loss, clogged ears, and other hearing disorders. Approximately 48 million Americans experience some degree of hearing loss. Hearing loss doesn’t only affect your ability to hear sounds, it also affects your ability to effectively communicate with friends, family members, and coworkers.
At The Hearing Group, we offer advanced diagnostic hearing testing and the latest hearing aids to help you manage hearing loss. Our audiologists have years of combined experience helping people of all ages with hearing loss.
Signs of Hearing Loss
Hearing loss can sometimes be difficult to recognize, especially if you’ve lost your hearing over the course of a few years. It may be a close friend or family member who has noticed the signs of hearing loss and has asked you to have your hearing checked.
Some common signs of hearing loss include:
- It sounds like people mumble
- You often ask people to repeat themselves
- It’s difficult to understand when there is background noise
- You hear a ringing in your ears
- Phone conversations are difficult to understand
- You have to turn the volume up on the TV
- You feel tired after conversations
- You have a hard time remembering information after conversations
Hearing and Brain Health
Hearing loss does so much more than just affect your ability to hear. It also affects your ability to hear and process certain sounds and frequencies that your brain needs to stay healthy. When left untreated, hearing loss can prevent your brain from receiving these sound signals, which can eventually lead to cognitive decline.
To be proactive about your hearing and your overall health, it’s important to manage the signs of hearing loss early with hearing aids. Hearing aids will help you clearly hear the sounds you have been missing, keeping your brain active and healthy. Don’t leave hearing loss untreated and let it affect your health; contact us today to discuss hearing aid options and experience the positive impact they can have on your quality of life.
Signs of Hearing Loss in Children
Children can experience hearing loss at any point, from birth to later in childhood. Your child’s hearing plays a crucial role in their social, emotional, and cognitive development. Even a mild or partial hearing loss can affect your child’s ability to develop speech and language properly. It’s important to be proactive about your child’s hearing health in order to provide them with the resources necessary for success by visiting a pediatric audiologist.
Learn how to recognize the signs of hearing loss in your infant. Here are some milestones your child should reach in the first year of life:
- Most infants will jump or startle at a sudden loud noise
- By 3 months they should recognize their parent’s voice
- By 6 months they can usually turn their eyes or head towards a sound
- By 12 months they can usually imitate sounds and say a few words, such as “Mama” or “bye-bye”
As your child continues to grow and develop it’s important to continue to monitor their hearing and developmental progress. Hearing loss can occur at any age, so it’s important to be proactive by watching for the signs of hearing loss in young children.
Signs of hearing loss in children may include:
- They have limited, poor, or no speech
- They are inattentive
- Difficulty learning
- They need to have the TV at a higher volume
- They fail to respond to conversation-level speech
- They answer inappropriately to speech
- They don’t respond to their name
- They become easily frustrated when there is background noise
If your child has shown signs of hearing loss, please contact us for an appointment. Our hearing specialists are experienced in helping children with hearing loss and we offer pediatric hearing exams to help your child.
