Hear, Here

Approximately one in three people in the United States between the ages of 65 and 74 has hearing loss, and nearly half of those older than 75 have difficulty hearing. Having trouble hearing can make it hard to understand and follow a doctor's advice, respond to warnings, and hear phones, doorbells, and smoke alarms. Hearing loss can also make it hard to enjoy talking with family and friends, leading to feelings of isolation. Age-related hearing loss most often occurs in both ears, affecting them equally. Because the loss is gradual, if you have age-related hearing loss you may not realize that you've lost some of your ability to hear. There are many causes of age-related hearing loss. Most commonly, it arises from changes in the inner ear as we age, but it can also result from changes in the middle ear, or from complex changes along the nerve pathways from the ear to the brain. Certain medical conditions and medications may also play a role. Why do we lose our heari...

This is going to be a much more personal, passionate post than past blog entries. The issues discussed below are obstacles I face everyday as a Doctor of Audiology and they aren't solved by slapping a widget on someone's ear and yelling "next!". I hope you will stick with me through it and return frequently for other entries regarding hearing healthcare. I fit numerous sets of hearing aids each week. Most of them on new users who have never worn hearing aids before. I always encourage my patients to bring someone with them to this visit. I find people respond better when they have a familiar voice to hear first through their hearing aid versus MY voice that they may not be familiar with beyond our first visit at their hearing test and subsequent hearing aid evaluation. I find that most people do not bring a communication partner with them. Whether is is because their adult children don't live here or are at work and can't break away or because they are tr...

Earlier this week, I heard a story about a colleague who once worked in a hospital setting. They were citing an example of patient misunderstanding with regards to hearing aid instructions--use and care, insertion, removal, expectations vs. reality, the fact that the batteries go in the hearing aids; you don't swallow them!  As Audiologists, we see things like this every day. And part of the reason is because people who need hearing aids don't have hearing aids, people who have hearing aids won't wear their hearing aids as prescribed, or because the individual has already suffered the kind of cognitive decline that a pair of well-fit, well-worn hearing aids could've helped combat.  I don't know what became of this individual who once swallowed their "hearing pills", but I can say with confidence that swallowing hearing aid batteries does not  improve your hearing! Here are some tips to get the most out of your investment:  1) Don't put off having your ...