The discovery of our personal hearing loss can be gradual or sudden. As we age, most of us will have hearing loss caused by presbycusis. This term is used when there is a degeneration of the inner ear due to age. Often this shift in the health of the inner ear causes lowered sensitivity to high frequencies and a diminished ability to understand speech. People may say that people are mumbling. Usually, presbycusis creates a balanced hearing loss...the hearing shifts equally.
Other than aging, hearing loss may be caused by long term noise exposure. If where you work, or play is noisy then you may be risking your hearing. Make sure and get some efficient noise protection. SoundGear is an excellent choice for protection. It’s good for hunting, industry, and using tools. There are custom solutions and instant fitting devices. There are also several levels of technology and decibel reduction levels. Thus, there is a varied price structure... This allows all to be able to protect their hearing.
Hearing loss can also be caused by brief explosive sounds, disease, tumors, injuries to the head or neck, and even side effects of illnesses like diabetes, heart disease, and kidney disease. Certain medicines can cause hearing loss. Or maybe you get lucky, and your ears are just impacted with ear wax. It gets cleaned out and your hearing is back to normal.
The beginning stages of presbycusis are sometimes hard for the average person to spot. With the busy world in which we live, it is easy to blame everything but our hearing ability on the communication at hand. So, here’s some help: take a couple of minutes and take this quiz. BE HONEST!!
- Do you have trouble hearing at the movies?
- Do you cringe when friends ask you to go to the movies or a play?
- Do you have a hard time watching TV at the same level as others?
- Do others complain the radio is too loud in the car?
- Do you have problems hearing family and friends in a restaurant?
- Do you find yourself arguing with your family members because of reoccurring misunderstandings?
- Do you have difficulty understanding your doctor?
- Do you feel stressed about important meetings and feel like you have someone with you so you don’t miss anything?
- Do you feel embarrassed to meet new people because you struggle to hear in groups?
- Do you feel that your hearing limits your social activities?
How many did you check off the list? If you checked off any of these items, then it is time to get a complete hearing evaluation. New data being released is lowering the age at which everyone should get a hearing evaluation. Kids wearing earbuds are stuck in their ears for many hours a day they are speeding up the progression of hearing loss. The 60’s, 70’s & 80’s had some of the best music EVER!! (My opinion of course) and we liked it LOUD! I can tell, you all just thought of your favorite band or musician and smiled... and remembered... you liked it LOUD too! So now we pay.... if you answered yes and nodded to any of those questions above then do yourself a favor and be proactive about your hearing and your health.
One of the hardest things for most people to come to terms with is that our bodies may have an issue. It takes a little bit to wrap our heads around it. If we go get a hearing evaluation and there is indeed a hearing deficit; then, we must come to terms with it. That can be difficult for many. Denial is a real thing in our industry. I can have someone with a very severe hearing loss and the spouse is threatening divorce (they are only getting tested because of this...really...) and still after the test they will say...”It’s not really all that bad is it?’ Now, after 42 years in this field... I just don’t play... I just help them come to grips with it. Hopefully, we keep peace in the family. A little guidance, patience, and the assurance that the little computers that they will need to wear are tiny and nearly invisible help to alleviate some of the anxiety of the “unknown”. It’s a BIG DEAL when our body starts to let us down. No matter who you are...it affects you. Years ago, I had a patient fly in his plane from South Florida for the fitting of his hearing aids. I had already tested him in his home a few weeks earlier. I went out to Sebring Airport to pick him up. I had only met him a couple of times. Nice guy. Big business. He flew his Australian shepherd dog with him. As we were walking to my car, out of the blue, he said, “I just don’t even know how to feel. It’s like a death sentence that I am getting old.” Briefly, I thought he was joking. After all, I already tested and ordered his hearing instruments without any hint of anxiety. I stopped dead in my tracks when I realized he was dead serious. He was only 60... The ride to the office was very heavy...sad. He talked and I listened. I was shocked that this vibrant, “with it”, go getter felt the way he was feeling. I realized his self-worth was being attacked. So, at that point I knew how to help him be ok with those little computers he was about to enjoy.
The longer you wait...the harder it is to get used to new things. This also increases your anxiety level. Technology is awesome in the hearing industry. It is discreet. It is designed to make your life easier. Take the first step! CALL US! (863) 385-3497
To Hear Better Is To Live Better!