Have you noticed that your aging parents are listening to the TV at a ridiculously loud volume? Does your spouse frequently ask you to speak louder? Do you often feel left out of a conversation because you can’t understand what people are saying?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, you or a loved one might be experiencing hearing loss, and you aren’t alone. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), “One in eight people in the United States (13 percent, or 30 million) aged 12 years or older has hearing loss in both ears, based on standard hearing examinations.”
Only 2% of adults aged 45-54 have a disabling hearing loss; however, that rate increases with age.
- 8.5% of adults aged 55 to 64
- Nearly 25% of adults aged 65 to 74
- 50% for adults 75 and older.
Hearing Loss and Well-Being
Hearing loss often occurs so gradually you may not even realize what is happening. But according to The Hearing Health Foundation, “Regardless of age, type of hearing loss, or cause, if left untreated or undetected, hearing loss can have negative effects on your well-being.”
Here are a few examples:
- The risk of falling is three times greater with even mild hearing loss, and that risk increases significantly with every additional 10 decibels of hearing loss.
- People with mild hearing impairment are almost twice as likely to develop dementia, and the risk increases with the severity of the hearing impairment.
- Straining to hear or constantly asking people to repeat themselves is stressful and can cause stress-related problems, such as muscle tension, anxiety, fatigue, irritability, and depression.
- Struggling to hear conversations can take a toll on your social life and lead to isolation and depression.
- Not being able to hear smoke alarms, sirens, etc., can cause physical harm.
What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Hearing Loss?
Typically, the first step to correcting any problem is identifying it. If you recognize the symptoms of hearing loss, you can identify it more quickly if it happens to yourself or loved ones and take steps to mitigate the adverse effects.
Here are the most common signs and symptoms of hearing loss:
- Having difficulty understanding conversations – especially with background noise or in a crowd
- Having trouble understanding people on the telephone
- Difficulty hearing consonants
- Frequently asking others to repeat themselves or talk more slowly, clearly, or loudly
- Needing to turn up the volume on the TV or radio to hear it better
- Withdrawing from conversations
- Avoiding social settings
- Feeling as if everyone around you is mumbling
- Having trouble understanding women and children in particular (High-frequency hearing loss is one of the most common types of hearing loss)
- Hearing ringing, clicking, hissing, or buzzing in the ear (Tinnitus is sometimes the first sign of hearing loss in older adults)
What Should You Do If You Suspect Hearing Loss?
The bad news is that most hearing loss is permanent. The good news is that the NIDCD reports that about 28.8 million U.S. adults could benefit from using hearing aids. But unfortunately, the NIDCD also says that “Among adults aged 70 and older with hearing loss who could benefit from hearing aids, fewer than one in three (30 percent) has ever used them. Even fewer adults aged 20 to 69 (approximately 16 percent) who could benefit from wearing hearing aids have ever used them.”
Why suffer the negative impact of hearing loss – the risk of falling or developing dementia, etc. – if you don’t have to?
Take the first step towards better hearing by scheduling a FREE hearing screening with Precision Hearing Aid Center. Discover if you’re among the 28.8 million U.S. adults who could benefit from the use of hearing aids. Want to know more? Give us a call at 610-779-3205 or contact us online.