Hearing Loss & the Quality Of Life

Article Submitted by Dr. Cheryl Hadlock, Audiologist, at All About Hearing at 970-221-3372 (FTC) or 970-461-0225 (LVD).

Hearing loss is a growing problem that can reduce an individual's quality of life. Among seniors, hearing loss is the third most prevalent but treatable condition behind arthritis and hypertension. Reduced hearing ability profoundly impacts an individual's emotional, physical, and social well-being.

Aging and Noise Exposure
Within the last three decades there has been a sharp increase in the number of Americans with hearing difficulties attributed to increased noise exposure. Noise exposure can originate from hairdryers, vacuums, lawn mowers, leaf blowers, a loud television set or radio, woodworking machines, saws and drills. Many active seniors continue to use noisy equipment as part of a hobby without using hearing protection. The use of earmuffs or earplugs is highly recommended.

Hearing Aids-New & Improved
The National Council on Aging surveyed older Americans with hearing loss to determine their barriers to wearing hearing aids. The most common reasons were, "my hearing is not bad enough" and "hearing aids will not help with my specific problem." Fortunately, high performance digital hearing aids now respond to specific speech sounds producing a more natural and clear speech signal. Since 1997 with former President Clinton's announcement of obtaining hearing aids there has been a rapid rise in new hearing aid users. This is a positive step for seniors in both recognizing their hearing difficulties and becoming proactive about their hearing healthcare needs.

Other Hearing Options
There is a wide variety of hearing assistance devices available for the cost conscious individual. The following is a list of hearing devices commonly available:

• Television Amplifiers (T.V. Ears) and Telephones
• FM or Infrared Listening Systems compatible with church or live theater systems.
• Personal hand-held amplifiers
• Closed Captioning for your Television (standard),
• Virtual Windows-closed captioning for the movie theaters,
• Bluetooth devices for your cell phone and hearing aid.
• Micro-conference speakers for an FM or Infrared System.