How’s your hearing?

About 48 million people in the U.S. have some degree of hearing loss, but many of them struggle with acknowledging it. I see this every day as a Licensed Hearing Provider. Many people are embarrassed about losing their hearing, and even more embarrassed about wearing hearing aids because they feel it’s a sign that they are getting old. Hearing aids are very indiscreet now and can be hidden in plain sight. On the other hand, it is virtually impossible to hide hearing loss unless you become a hermit and discontinue all live conversation. Otherwise, every time you say, “What did you say?” “I didn’t hear you.” Or “I’m sorry, can you repeat that?”…They will know without a doubt that you are “hard of hearing” as they say.

Here are a few facts about hearing that you should be aware of:

• The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) recommends that after the age of 60, you should have your hearing tested yearly. The reason is that hearing loss happens so gradually, that you may not notice it until your hearing has declined to a place you don’t want it to be.
• Presbycusis, which is age-related hearing loss, affects one out of 3 people by age 65. That number increases to one out of 2 by the time you’re 75.
• If you or someone you care about has been or is exposed to loud noises regularly (i.e., riding motorcycles, gun use, exceptionally loud music, military experience, firefighter, etc.), regardless of age, noise-induced hearing loss is very common.
• Untreated hearing loss can have undesirable effects on your memory and other cognitive abilities. When you’re struggling to hear people talk in a noisy place, your frontal and prefrontal cortexes – the parts of the brain that help you think, focus, concentrate, and remember things for short periods, become more active. Dr. Anu Sharma, a professor in the Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Science at the University of Colorado, says, “because you’re using these parts of the brain to listen, you can’t use them as effectively to understand the meaning of what’s being said, so your comprehension declines.” Hearing loss has been linked with dementia. If you google “hearing loss and dementia” you will find lots of studies documenting that. The last time I did it there were 20,800,000 results on the topic. An international analysis published in The Lancet in 2017 called hearing loss “one of the largest modifiable risks for developing dementia.”
• Very few people are aware of what to do if you experience a sudden hearing loss. If you suddenly find you cannot hear out of one ear you must immediately see an ENT. If treatment is initiated immediately, in most cases, the hearing can be restored. However, most people assume it’s a weird temporary thing and wait to see a doctor. Once so many hours have passed, it becomes a permanent hearing loss that sometimes cannot even be helped by a hearing aid.

How to determine if you have a hearing loss? The most definitive way is to have your hearing professionally tested by a Licensed Hearing Practitioner. Here are signs of hearing loss that should get your attention:

1. You need the TV louder than others in the room. If you need to turn down the TV to hear what someone is saying to you in the same room, your hearing may be declining. The need for more volume is one of the first early signs of hearing loss.
2. You’re noticing that people mumble when they’re talking. With age-related hearing loss, you make be missing some consonant sounds, which makes it appear that people are mumbling.
3. With everyone wearing masks, it has become harder to understand what people are saying. When you have a hearing loss, you need facial expressions and lip reading to help you compensate for your loss. Mask wearing has taken that away.
4. It’s challenging to understand what others are saying on the phone. It’s easier to just put them on speaker. When holding a phone to your ear, you’re only getting sound to one ear, which compromises your ability to hear with a loss.
5. Background noise makes it difficult to have a decent conversation with someone. With a hearing loss, it’s more difficult to screen out the other noises.
6. You’re missing the punch lines of some jokes. And sometimes you’re missing parts of words. With hearing loss, you can begin losing the ability to recognize some consonants sounds.
7. You don’t remember things people tell you. It’s difficult to remember things you don’t hear clearly.

To sum things up, it’s time to let go of the old stigma associated with hearing loss and hearing aids. Quality of life is what’s important. You are blessed to be alive given all that you’ve been through. It’s time to enjoy life fully and being able to hear what’s around you is a must. If you ever need hearing aids, you’ll be in good company with folks like Halle Berry, Jodie Foster, Robert Redford, and Rob Lowe.

I hope this information has inspired you to start thinking of your hearing health as a part of your overall health package. It’s time to add a hearing check to your annual health screenings.

Here’s to better hearing!

Renee Featherstone