What about ...?
Facts & Questions we hear
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:
Demographics:
- 40 million Americans are hearing impaired, and an estimated 500 million experience
hearing loss, worldwide
- In the U.S., one out of ten 30+ year-olds is already hearing-impaired, and one in
four 62+ year-olds suffer from hearing loss
- There are more baby boomers aged 45-64 with a hearing loss (13 million) than there
are people over the age of 65 with a hearing loss (10 million)
- More than a third of all hearing loss is attributed to noise: loud music, loud workplaces,
loud recreational equipment
- Thanks to the above, we’re all losing our hearing at a younger age than we were
30 years ago
- Of the 13 million Americans aged 45 to 64 who have a hearing loss, six out of ten do
not yet benefit from wearing hearing aids
Hearing loss facts:
- Hearing loss is second only to arthritis as the most common complaint of older adults
- Only about 10% of hearing losses are helped by surgery or other medical treatment
- 90% of hearing losses can be treated with the use of hearing instruments
- Only 16% of physicians routinely screen for hearing loss
- Consistent noise above 80-90 decibels in an 8-hour workday is considered hazardous
- Firearms, music, airplanes, lawnmowers, power tools, and many appliances are louder
than 80 decibels and potentially hazardous to hearing with prolonged exposure
- A live rock concert produces sounds from 110 to 120 decibels — easily high enough
to cause permanent damage to hearing over a two to three hour period
Hearing Loss Myths
Myth:
Only a few people are truly hearing impaired; the statistics don’t apply to me or
those close to me.
Fact:
With 40 million reporting hearing loss in this country alone, or one in ten people,
odds are good that you or someone you know is indeed affected by hearing loss — especially
if you’re over the age of 57.
Myth:
If I did have a hearing impairment, I’d certainly know about it.
Fact:
The truth is, hearing loss happens gradually and the signs are subtle at first.
Our own built-in defenses and ability to adapt make it difficult to self-diagnose.
A simple Q & A hearing test can help you gain insight, while professional screening
can provide a more definitive answer.
Myth:
Most hearing problems can’t be helped.
Fact:
30 or 40 years ago, that was true. Today, 90% of hearing loss — the kind that’s brought
on by age or exposure to noise — is very responsive to treatment in the form of technically
advanced hearing instruments.
Myth:
If you’re hearing impaired, it just means sounds aren’t loud enough.
Fact:
Hearing isn’t only about loudness or decibel level. Typically, hearing loss has
more to do with the frequency of the sound — that is, it's more pitch than it is loudness.
When hearing loss occurs, it’s harder to hear higher pitches — especially when there
is background noise to complicate the picture, such as conversation in a noisy restaurant.
That’s why amplifying incoming sounds alone isn’t as effective in treating hearing
loss as amplifying selectively.
Myth:
Living with hearing loss is not a big deal.
Fact:
There are many psychological effects to hearing loss, including frustration, withdrawal,
and depression. Trouble communicating with others creates a strain on relationships
and a loss of esteem. It’s far better to deal with hearing loss than to pretend
it isn’t happening — or to ignore the effect it is having on those around you.
Myth:
Hearing aids are obvious and unattractive.
Fact:
While it’s true that hearing aids don’t enjoy the fashion status of a pair of glasses,
new technology has made these devices remarkably discreet. Many people can wear
aids that are either tucked well inside the ear or almost completely hidden in the
ear canal. Behind-the-ear styles are often disguised by hairstyles.
Myth:
Hearing loss and hearing aids are a sign of old age.
Fact:
Things are changing. Just as hearing loss itself is no longer the province of the
elderly (there are more hearing-impaired people in the 45-64 year-old age category
than there are in the over-65 age group), neither is wearing a hearing aid. Many
of the baby boomers now experiencing hearing loss will undoubtedly invest in better
hearing sooner than later. And, as a culture, we’re increasingly showing our preference
for treatment over doing nothing. Consider the popularity of such investments
as laser eye surgery and hormone replacement therapy, just to name a few. Indeed, doing
nothing to help yourself may be seen as a more obvious sign of old age than the
problem itself.
Myth:
Really good hearing aids are prohibitively expensive.
Fact:
Better hearing through technology is within the reach of most people. The real issue
is quality of life, and what it’s worth to you. While good hearing aids are seen
as expensive, putting a price on a better life is hard to do. You have
to weigh the benefits and make your own decision. However you choose to look at
it, treating hearing loss and enjoying the benefits is still relatively inexpensive
compared to treating most health problems.
Myth:
Hearing aids don’t work.
Fact:
Hearing aids won’t restore lost hearing or stop the progression of age or noise-related
hearing loss. And because hearing is as much a function of the brain as it is the
inner ear, hearing aids aren’t the whole story in hearing better. But smart, new
digital technologies, including the ability to amplify sound selectively, do help
most people to hear better in most situations. Even so, it needs to be said that
no hearing aid, no matter how sophisticated, will work unless you are willing to
wear and adapt to it.
How does hearing loss happen?
We know a lot about how hearing loss occurs. By far the most common cause is the
natural aging process. Just like our hair thins and gets gray, and our eyes lose
fine focus, hair cells in the inner ear weaken, break and grow unresponsive with
age.
The second leading cause of hearing loss is exposure to noise. Loud machinery at
home or where you work can damage your ears - even short bursts of sound over 90 decibels
can have an impact. Prolonged noise is worse. Our lives are filled with noise we
can’t control - from working in military or factory environments, to airplanes, subway trains,
and traffic sounds. There’s also plenty of noise we can control, but choose not
to - rock concerts, loud cheering at sporting events, and all those power tools around
the house.
All of these forms of hearing loss are examples of sensorineural loss. Heredity
can also play a role in developing this kind of hearing loss. Hearing losses can
also be caused by illness such as severe ear infection, disease, tumors or injury—for
example, a blow to the head. Another cause, easily fixed, is a build-up of earwax
in the ear canal. Some of these problems will ease on their own, while others may
respond to medicines or surgery. These are examples of conductive hearing loss.
When it comes to treating hearing loss, you can often improve your ability to hear
and communicate with hearing instruments. The first step is having your hearing
evaluated by Ellis-Scott & Associates.
What are the types of hearing loss?
Hearing loss falls into two broad categories, depending on the part of the ear that’s
affected. You can have a hearing loss in one ear only, or, more commonly, the loss
may be binaural - in both ears.
Conductive hearing loss
When the structures of the outer or middle ear fail to conduct sound waves to the
inner ear properly, the result is conductive hearing loss. This type of loss is
usually temporary and may be reversed through surgery or other medical means. Causes
include ear infections, injury to the ear, such as a punctured eardrum, or even
a build-up of wax in the ear canal. Because children are prone to ear infections,
it’s important to have their hearing checked frequently and to be aware of the signs
of hearing loss.
Sensorineural hearing loss
Sensorineural hearing loss describes what happens when the inner ear doesn’t process
sound normally. It can result from a variety of causes, but the most typical scenario
is damage done to hair cells in the cochlea from exposure to loud noise and/or the
natural aging process. When hair cells are unresponsive, sounds are not properly
transmitted to the auditory nerve in the brain. Sensorineural hearing loss accounts
for about 90% of all hearing losses.
While sensorineural hearing loss is irreversible, you can help prevent further damage
from noise by wearing earplugs in noisy environments and listening to music at lower,
more comfortable levels.
How do I recognize the Signs of a Hearing Loss?
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?
- They appear to hear people talk but have difficulty understanding some of the words
- They’re constantly asking people to repeat themselves
- They have a hard time understanding women and children’s voices
- They have a hard time hearing and/or understanding speech in a crowded environment
- It’s hard for them to understand speech over the phone
- They favor one ear over the other
- They complain of a ringing sensation in one or both ears
- They often appear uncomfortable in social occasions they used to enjoy
- They seem withdrawn, depressed or irritable
- 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.
Why do I need two hearing aids?
Two ears are better than one
Why do we have two ears? Much like having two eyes helps us to see all around
us, having two ears helps us locate sound in time and space.
Balanced or binaural hearing is vital to your ability to locate where a sound is
coming from. The brain instinctively locates a sound’s source by measuring the tiny
differences in duration and intensity in the way each ear hears the sound.
For example, when you’re crossing a street, the sound of an approaching car reaches
the closer ear a fraction of a second before the other ear, and at a higher intensity.
These differences are translated by the brain, allowing you to internally calculate the sound’s
direction and distance from you.
Two ears also help you to focus in on desired sounds and ignore sounds you’re not
interested in hearing. With two inputs, the brain can select a specific sound and
concentrate on it. A common example of this is the cocktail party setting, where
you may overhear your name and shift your attention to a conversation other than
the one you’re already involved in. Hearing in stereo also gives a fuller quality to sound.
For all of these reasons, we’ve evolved with two ears. That’s why, for those with
a binaural hearing loss, two hearing aids are often recommended.
Why are hearing aids so costly?
Improving your hearing and adding to your quality of life is hard to put a price
tag on.
While it might seem odd, it’s not really what’s inside the piece of plastic that
you’re paying for — it’s how well the hearing aid improves your quality of life. The
real value is what it’s worth to be able to fully engage in your relationships,
work, and the activities you enjoy.
You may also want to think about what you value most in terms of a hearing aid’s
features and benefits. How important is vanity? How important is the latest technology?
The equation of price will depend somewhat on your priorities — and it’s different
for everyone.
Hearing aids generally run from several hundred to a few thousand dollars. Typically,
costs reflect the amount of research and development that has gone into the product,
as well as the quality of the components, with the smallest, most technologically advanced
aids at the higher end of the pricing spectrum. However, you can also get hearing
aids that still provide excellent benefits, while being modestly priced.
Pricing may include services, such as the testing, making of the earmold impression,
fitting of the aid, and follow-up care and service. In addition, most hearing aids
come with a warranty and return guarantee.