Category — Effects of hearing loss

Today’s digital hearing aids have changed all of that.  We now can actually create a very normal dynamic range of hearing for most patients.  We can measure where the patient hears soft sounds at the different frequency of speech.  Then we can measure where sounds get too loud in each frequency and plug that into a digital chip and we have provided our patient a very normal dynamic range of hearing.  If properly fit and by the hands of someone skilled, most will find it is a very small adjustment for them because what is being provided is natural and clear.  Most will begin at a lower level than needed and over a period of time they will be brought up to normal targets.  Read more... (343 words, estimated 1:22 mins reading time)

I often ask people who come to get help with their hearing loss how their loss is affecting those who they are close to.  At least 95% tell me that’s the real reason they came to see me, because of the effect it was having with those close to them.

Another extremely important reason to start wearing hearing aids early is to keep the stimulation of sound to the brain going.  Over time if there is a lack of sound stimulation to the brain it almost always causes a loss of the patient’s ability to comprehend or make out words.

So when should you think about wearing a hearing aid?  I would encourage you to act when you realize it is starting to affect your life at work and especially with those you are close to.  Read more... (346 words, estimated 1:23 mins reading time)

Normal hearing on an audiogram is from 0 db to 30 db in the speech range between 250 to 8,000 Hertz.  Most people in this range function normally and seem to hear and understand most conversations even when noise or background sounds are present.

When a hearing loss goes beyond the 30 db level is when it usually becomes noticeable to the individual with the hearing a loss.  Interestingly, almost all hearing losses begin in the high frequency range.  What is noticed is not so much a drop in volume because their low tones are in the normal range.  However what is noticed is a drop in understanding or clarity of words.  If you had a high frequency loss you would really notice a problem when someone was speaking and they had a soft or high pitched voice.  That’s when most start asking others to repeat what was said.  Usually the biggest challenge comes when they are in a group or in any noisy situations like in a restaurant or when their TV is on and someone tries to talk with them.  Read more... (364 words, estimated 1:27 mins reading time)

Without even realizing it, a hearing loss can easily create frustration and even pain that comes from our deep feelings inside when our self confidence starts to erode.  It doesn’t usually happen overnight, this is usually a long process of many years slowly accumulating and little by little chipping away at our confidence.

The worst part for me is when I pretend I understand something that is being talked about and I really don’t.  I’m usually too embarrassed to ask someone I don’t know real well to repeat themselves several times during a conversation.  So I usually do what most of us with a hearing loss automatically do, we nod our heads up and down and look like we got it.    Read more... (297 words, estimated 1:11 mins reading time)

Every day we talk to many people – from our family, at work, and to people we don’t know.  Have you ever thought about how many people you actually speak to every day?  Now think about how many times you speak to those you’re close to?  Interestingly, when we talk we take for granted that we are being heard.

Very seldom do we miss the signs that someone with a hearing loss isn’t really hearing us.  Oh they can hear you talking; however what you said may not have been understood or perhaps even misinterpreted.  I’m sure you know how different any sentence could be understood just by changing one or several words.  Read more... (286 words, estimated 1:09 mins reading time)

Among the study’s key findings:

•    While people with treated and untreated hearing loss both earn less than people with normal hearing, for people with more severe hearing loss the income decline is cut in half for hearing aid owners. For example, the difference in income between people with mild versus profound hearing loss is $20,300 per year for those with untreated hearing loss and $10,200 for those with hearing aids.
•    For every 10 percent increment in hearing loss, the income disparity between those with untreated hearing loss and those with hearing aids increases at the rate of approximately $1,000.
•    The estimated cost in lost earnings due to untreated hearing loss is $122 billion, with the cost to the government in unrealized federal taxes at $18 billion.
•    Currently, more than 24 million people in the United States who say they have hearing loss do not use hearing aids.  Read more... (309 words, estimated 1:14 mins reading time)

Resentment can go both ways – from the person having to put out so much effort trying to communicate, as well as the person with the hearing loss.  The person with the hearing loss will often lay blame for their hearing loss on the other person.  They often say, “If you would just speak clearly I could understand what you said”.  It’s easy to understand also the resentment caused when the person with the hearing loss refuses to do anything to correct the hearing loss.  Please don’t let a hearing loss effect you needlessly like this.
The good news is there is a very simple, painless solution.  I have helped thousands of people save their relationships just by correcting their hearing loss.  Hearing aids can make communication easy.  Read more... (252 words, estimated 1:00 mins reading time)

If you are married and have a hearing loss or are married to someone who has a hearing loss, you no doubt are already experiencing many challenges when it comes to communication with your partner.

We all know that communication is the key to any relationship.  Best friends are called that because they usually know each other very, very well.  That closeness came about because of very good communication on many different levels.  No one will argue that the closer the communication between two people, the closer the relationship.  Read more... (204 words, estimated 49 secs reading time)

It is often difficult for friends and family to get a hearing loss patient to go for a complete diagnosis and exam. Hearing loss patients so often live in denial that they have a problem. They are almost as difficult to draw out of their denial as a person with an addiction. One could say the patient is addicted to hearing clearly and is in denial of the fact they can no longer do so easily. Anger, withdrawal and confrontation are often symptoms exhibited by early stage hearing loss patients. They are often angry with loved ones who suggest they have a problem, they will withdraw from those who are making them angry and they will usually confront those who suggest they have a problem with excuses and blame.  Read more... (554 words, estimated 2:13 mins reading time)

Without medical intervention at an early stage, hearing loss can quickly progress from a minor situation requiring a small hearing aid to a major medical condition requiring more extensive treatments. What most people do not realize is that a majority of aging adults in the United States will experience some form of hearing loss as they age. Within the group of adults who begin to experience hearing loss as they age, there will be a majority who compensate for the condition for a long period of time prior to seeking medical assistance.  Read more... (371 words, estimated 1:29 mins reading time)