It’s been over 10 years since I first discovered I had a hearing loss. At first I was in denial. My hearing had always been excellent, and there wasn’t any “event” in my past, and certainly nothing from a work environment, that could explain what I was experiencing. Finally, after much prompting from my wife, I made an appointment with an Ear, Nose & Throat specialist, who confirmed my condition. After ruling out a possible brain tumor (with an MRI), the recommendation was to see an audiologist who could assess my options, and hopefully provide some answers to help improve my hearing.

Since that experience 10 years ago I’ve learned that about one-third of Americans between the ages of 65 and 74 have hearing problems, and about half the people who are 85 and older have significant hearing loss. Whether a hearing loss is small (missing certain sounds) or large (being profoundly deaf), it is a serious concern, and if left untreated, problems can get worse.

As I discovered, hearing loss can affect your life in many ways. You may miss out on talks with friends and family. On the telephone, you may find it hard to hear what the caller is saying. At the doctor’s office, you may not catch the doctor’s words.

Sometimes hearing problems can make you feel embarrassed, upset and lonely. It’s easy to withdraw when you can’t follow a conversation at the dinner table or in a restaurant. It’s also easy for friends and family to think you are confused, uncaring, or difficult, when the problem may be that you just can’t hear well.

Hearing loss can have many different causes, including the aging process, earwax buildup, exposure to very loud noises over a long period of time, viral or bacterial infections, heart conditions or stroke, head injuries, tumors, certain medicines and heredity. In my case, most of the relatives on my dad’s side of the family had hearing problems, which would indicate a heredity issue.

Here are a few common symptoms to be aware of: 1) You have trouble hearing over the telephone; 2) Find it hard to follow conversations when two or more people are talking; 3) Need to turn up the TV volume so loud that others complain; 4) Have a problem hearing because of background noise; 5) Sense that others seem to mumble; or 6) Can’t understand when women and children speak to you.

By the way,  when I was first confronted with the prospect of wearing hearing aids I was very resistant, and felt that it would be demeaning and conspicuous.  In other words, my pride got in the way of an obvious solution to my problem. Fortunately, I’ve managed to overcome that obstacle, and today, I am thankful for such aids, although most people don’t even know I wear them.

However, even with hearing aids, it’s important to let your friends and family know that you have a hearing problem. People don’t have to shout, but they do need to know that if they will face you and speak more slowly and clearly, it will greatly improve your ability to hear and understand them. On the other hand, it’s important to pay attention to what is being said, and to particularly notice facial expressions and gestures. Also, you need to let the person talking know if you do not understand, and when necessary, ask people to reword a sentence and try again.

For those of us with a hearing loss, we know how challenging it can be. For those reading this that may be experiencing some of the early “signs” that I’ve just mentioned, please know that there is help. Start by seeing your doctor. Depending on the type and extent of your hearing loss, there are many treatment choices that may help. Hearing loss does not have to get in the way of your ability to enjoy life.