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Recognizing the signs
If you think someone you know might have a
hearing loss, take a look at this list of common signs. Do any
of the following sound familiar?
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They appear to hear people talk but have
difficulty understanding some of the words.
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They're constantly asking people to repeat
themselves
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They have a hard time understanding women and
children's voices
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They have a hard time understanding in a crowd
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It's hard for them to understand on the phone
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They favor one ear over the other
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They complain of a ringing sensation in one or
both ears
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They often appear uncomfortable in social
occasions they used to enjoy
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They seem withdrawn, depressed or irritable
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Other friends or family members have noticed
their difficulty hearing
While a few "yes" answers don't automatically
indicate a hearing loss, it does suggest the need for further
evaluation.
What can you do about hearing
loss?
While hearing loss isn't reversible, most age or
noise related loss can be managed and often compensated for.
Sometimes that means medication or surgery. But just as eyeglasses
are used to correct vision problems, hearing instruments are used to
treat most kinds of hearing loss.
Any treatment starts with a screening of your
hearing by a doctor or hearing professional. Once you know the
nature and extent of hearing loss, you'll be able to make your own
decision about treatment. But first, take the opportunity to
educate yourself about hearing and how hearing loss occurs.
Demographics of hearing loss
Hearing loss is more common than you might think.
Interestingly, due to recreational and environmental noise, hearing
loss is occurring at younger and younger ages. Consider the facts:
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28 million Americans are hearing impaired, and
an estimated 500 million experience hearing loss worldwide. In the
U.S., 1 out of 12 thirty year-olds is already hearing-impaired
and 1 out of 8 fifty year-olds suffer from hearing loss
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After President Bill Clinton was fitted for
hearing instruments, more than 1 million other baby boomers
identified themselves as experiencing hearing loss
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There are more baby boomers aged 45-64 with a
hearing loss (10 million) that there are people over the age of
65 with a hearing loss (9 million)
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More than a third of all hearing loss is
attributed to noise: loud music, loud workplaces, loud
recreational equipment
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Thanks to the above, we're all losing our
hearing at a younger age than we were 30 years ago
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Of the 10 million Americans aged 45-64 who have
a hearing loss, 6 out of 7 do not yet benefit from wearing
hearing instruments
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