Without your ears and the sense of hearing that's associated with them, communicating with others would be much more difficult. The way you interact with others could very well be the number one determiner of how happy you end up being in life. A couple of examples will easilyTinnitus Terminator demonstrate this. If your ears are not up to snuff, your relationship with friends and colleagues could suffer. If friends have trouble having regular conversations with you, they are likely to seek the company of others instead. Ultimately, you could end up feeling alienated, which could lead to depression. If your colleagues have trouble communicating with you in a fluid manner, productivity at work could suffer and your boss could take note. You might end up being skipped over when it comes to promotions and bonuses because of your issues with hearing loss.
Now that you see it can have a profound effect on your life, you have to take steps to prevent it from happening in the first place. The great thing about such loss is that it's almost entirely preventable. It's mostly a matter of avoiding the habits that lead to it, though that tends to be much easier said than done. It must be noted though that to a certain extent age itself will affect your hearing, but bad habits could speed up the process greatly. Take care to minimize or completely avoid the following if at all possible: listening to music at high volumes with headphones, blasting your stereo in your car, working around loud industrial machinery without protection, driving your car with your windows down, frequently attending noisy dance or music venues, and riding a motorcycle without protection, just to name a few activities.
The only way to objectively know if you are currently suffering from hearing loss is to have a test performed on you by a qualified professional. Most people are subjective about their own ears and friends and family may try to sugar-coat a loved one's ailments. A proper test will just let you know the facts. The best part about one is that they can end up being completely free of charge. Hearing aid companies will often test your ears for free in the hopes that you will do business with them in the future. There will be no charge and no commitment. They're just hoping that their good-will gesture will convince you that they're out to help first, and make money second. If you should happen to need a couple of hearings aids to get your ears back in line, they'd be right there to help.