Hearing Loss
We help our clients manage their hearing loss with hearing aids. We are Conviently located in Bellingham, Everett, and Bellevue.
What is Hearing Loss?
Hearing loss is the inability to hear sounds in either one or both ears. Hearing loss can range from mild to severe, and can affect anyone of any age, even children. When left untreated, hearing loss can cause other health conditions such as cognitive decline. Sometimes, hearing loss is the result of another underlying health condition, such as heart disease, diabetes, or high blood pressure. It is important to schedule regular visits with your physician, and with us at Rainier Hearing so we can help you be proactive about your hearing health.
Although hearing loss is irreversible, we can help you successfully manage it with hearing aids. Hearing aids provide you with the proper amplification so you can hear sounds again. Hearing aids also automatically adjust to your environment and can even filter background noise. A hearing aid will help you hear better and can prevent your hearing loss from affecting your mental health and overall well-being.
Identifying Hearing Loss
There are a lot of different signs to look for in hearing loss, but not everyone notices the signs. The person living with hearing loss oftentimes doesn’t even know that they are experiencing it, since most hearing loss occurs gradually. Early signs of hearing loss can include having to ask people to repeat themselves often during a conversation, feeling like people mumble all the time, or turning the television up louder than other people like it.
During your hearing test we will determine if you have hearing loss and the type of hearing loss you have. Different types of hearing loss are caused by different affected areas in the ear. Some could actually be a medical referral that may need to be medically corrected (such as an ear infection, perforated eardrum, or earwax blockage). If there is nothing that can be done medically, that’s where hearing aids come in. Whatever type of hearing loss you have, we will make a recommendation for your next steps.
Free Online Hearing Screener
Think you might have hearing loss? Take our 3-minute online hearing screener to find out! In only a few minutes, you’ll have a better understanding of your hearing health
Hearing and the Brain
The sooner you get help with your hearing loss, the easier the adjustment to hearing better will be and the better the results will be. If you wait until your hearing loss is severe, it will take longer for the brain to get used to hearing well again. We always recommend getting hearing aids sooner rather than later, as the process is easier, and the result will be better.
Many people don’t realize that we don’t hear when sound reaches the ear. We hear when sound reaches the auditory cortex of the brain. Once sound reaches the brain it is processed into information and stored as a memory. When you can’t hear well due to hearing loss, then your brain isn’t receiving the proper stimulation it needs to remain active and healthy. This can lead to cognitive decline and even dementia.
The sooner you wear hearing aids to manage your hearing loss, the less likely you are of losing your cognitive abilities. The longer you wait to get hearing aids, the less helpful the hearing aids will be in managing your hearing loss. This is because the brain will forget certain sounds and it will be harder for it to process sounds anymore. If you suspect you have hearing loss, then you should make an appointment with us today. We can test your hearing and fit you with a pair of hearing aids that will help keep your brain healthy.
Contact US:
Office Locations
Bellingham Location
3800 Byron Ave #108
Lincoln Professional Center
Bellingham, Washington, 98229
Everett Location
3624 Colby Ave, Suite B,
Everett WA 98201
Bellevue Location
11900 NE 1st Street, Suite 300
Bellevue, WA 98005
Office Locations:
Hours
Monday – Friday:
9AM-4:30PM – By Appointments Only
