The last time you attended a party, the room was noisy, there was a lot of sounds, and you found yourself unable to hear what others were saying. You couldn’t participate in conversations or enjoy the party. You stopped attending parties because they aren’t fun, and you can’t join in like others, but you aren’t really sure why that’s the case. You can hear just fine when you are at work, at home and when engaging in normal activities. The missing piece to this puzzle may be that you’re suffering from low frequency hearing loss. The symptoms are more difficult to notice and because of the rarity of this condition, it’s likely that you haven’t met others who struggle with hearing loss in the same way that you do. This article will discuss some of the common symptoms of low frequency hearing loss, and, depending on the type of hearing you have, help hard of hearing people to understand how treating low frequency hearing loss is possible.
You’re Unable to Hear in Loud Places
Loss of hearing when in noisy locations and at events is a major sign that you’re struggling with low frequency hearing loss. The inability for your ears to hear sounds at lower decibels causes confusion of your hearing when there is loud noise coming to your eardrums.
You’ve Got a Family History of Low Frequency Hearing Loss
While it’s not always the case, sometimes your family history of low frequency hearing loss can be a sign that you might be suffering from it as well. You can speak with older adults in your family and see if they can hear sounds or loud noises or received treatment or had a hearing test by a doctor regarding this issue. In most hearing loss that is not a result of damage to the eardrum, genetics is, unfortunately, the cause, especially in congenital hearing loss, which is usually diagnosed when you’re a child. Low Frequency hearing loss may remain undiagnosed until a person is much older and may not be passed down from parent to child or grandparent to child.
You Don’t Hear Music the Same Way Your Friends Do
If you don’t hear music the same ways your friends do—specifically, if you don’t hear bass when it’s turned up in music—it’s likely you’ve got low frequency hearing loss and you should go for a hearing test. Often, people who struggle with this condition, won’t enjoy the same types of music as their friends and may struggle to understand the depth of the music that they’re listening to.
Your Gender May be to Blame
Typically, more women are diagnosed with low frequency hearing loss, as opposed to men. This is not to say that, if you’re a man, you won’t suffer from low frequency hearing loss—it is possible for men to struggle with the condition, but studies have shown that this occurs mainly in women.
Your Waist Size
Overeating can do enormous damage to the body and cause normal body function to be impaired. This is especially true when it comes to low frequency hearing loss. Overweight children are especially at risk for developing low frequency hearing loss. Excessive overeating and poor diet can be risk factors. Make sure to follow a healthy nutritious diet to prevent this condition from occurring. Regularly eat a diet that includes all of the food groups and take vitamins to ensure that you are getting the recommended daily minerals and nutrients that help your body to function.
You Don’t Drink Enough Water
Making sure to drink enough water every day will help you prevent low frequency hearing loss. If you participate in sports regularly or work in a job that causes you to sweat regularly, like roofing or construction, make sure to get proper hydration. When you sweat frequently you are losing vital nutrients and minerals, and if you don’t replace those and hydrate you put yourself at risk for damage to your vital body functions.
How to Prevent and Treat Low Frequency Hearing Loss
The best ways to prevent low frequency hearing loss is by properly caring for your body. Make sure that you eat a healthy diet and that you don’t allow yourself or your children to become overweight. If you are overweight, drink water regularly and decrease or quit using diuretics, as these can cause damage to your hearing. Don’t allow yourself to become dehydrated regularly. Regularly protect your ears at concerts and decrease the amount of time you spend listening to very loud music. In order to treat the condition, you’ll need to get specially designed hearing aids that you can wear to places that are noisy and in group settings. These hearing aids will help you be able to distinguish what is being said and allow you to participate in conversations and events.
If you think that you or a loved one is suffering from low frequency hearing loss, you should schedule an appointment to be checked over by a doctor and take a hearing test. The doctor will be able to provide more information on the best course of treatment. You’ll likely have to take a hearing test and will be encouraged to wear a hearing device to help you be able to enjoy events where you would have felt alienated in the past. If you are wondering if a loved one is experiencing difficulties with this type of hearing problem, you should look for signs that they have become withdrawn in social settings and don’t want to go to parties, sporting games, and feel uncomfortable talking in group meetings in loud restaurants. You can encourage your loved one to seek treatment, as doctors are easily able to treat this condition and it will likely significantly impact the enjoyment your friend or family member will have in their life in the future. Suffering from hearing loss is not something that you should be embarrassed about, it affects millions of Americans, and unfortunately is caused by a variety of activities and events. Even genetics can put a person at a higher risk, but with new technologies, it’s easier than ever to get back to enjoying life normally.
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