09/Apr/2009
What did you say?
Improving Your Hearing: Easy, Pleasant, Affordable
By Clarence Freeman
Hearing Solutions, Inc.
Here are some of the questions we hear every day and the answers we usually provide for our patients:
How do I know if I have a hearing loss problem?
Adults usually begin by complaining that people are mumbling and not speaking clearly, so they have to ask them to repeat what they said. Friends and relatives begin telling you that you don’t seem to hear very well, and you don’t laugh at jokes appropriately because you missed part of the story. Or if you have to ask others about what happened at a meeting you just attended, or if others say you play the television or radio too loud, or if you cannot hear the doorbell or the telephone, you should have your hearing tested. If you find it easier to understand someone if you are looking at them when they talk, especially in a noisy place or where there are competing conversations, you probably are a victim of hearing loss.
How can I tell if my child has a hearing problem?
In children you will notice that they are inconsistently responding to sound, and that their language and speech development is delayed and their speech is unclear. If a child turns up the sound on the radio or television and does not follow directions, the problem may be with his or her hearing. If your child often says “Huh?” or does not respond when called, you may want to have their hearing tested.
Don’t most people hear just fine?
As a matter of fact, hearing loss is one of the most commonly unaddressed health conditions in America today. It affects more than 31.5 million Americans, and most of these people are below retirement age. The fact is 30 percent of people over 60 have hearing loss, and 15 percent of people between the ages of 41 and 59 have hearing loss. Anywhere from 15 to 20 percent of school-aged children may have temporary and treatable hearing loss at some point.
If I think I or my child might have a problem, where do I go for help?
Nearly all childhood hearing loss can be treated medically or surgically. Therefore, consult your pediatrician or ear, nose and throat specialist. For adults, about 90-95 percent of hearing loss is not medically or surgically treatable. But hearing aids are very effective in restoring hearing loss. Consult an audiologist and have an audiological evaluation to determine if your hearing loss can be treated medically. If that’s the case your audiologist should refer you to have a medical exam.
Are Hearing Aids Actually Helpful?
Thanks to current technology hearing aids are working better than ever to help people hear better. When properly recommended and fitted a hearing aid user’s success rate is 93 percent, according to the Better Hearing Institute.
If hearing loss is untreated, what can happen?
Studies have shown that if hearing loss is untreated it could lead to emotional and physical conditions such as irritability, anger, fatigue, social rejection, risk to personal safety and reduced psychological health. Untreated hearing loss in children can inhibit learning and communication skills.
Improving Your Hearing: Easy, Pleasant, Affordable
By Clarence Freeman
Hearing Solutions, Inc.
Here are some of the questions we hear every day and the answers we usually provide for our patients:
How do I know if I have a hearing loss problem?
Adults usually begin by complaining that people are mumbling and not speaking clearly, so they have to ask them to repeat what they said. Friends and relatives begin telling you that you don’t seem to hear very well, and you don’t laugh at jokes appropriately because you missed part of the story. Or if you have to ask others about what happened at a meeting you just attended, or if others say you play the television or radio too loud, or if you cannot hear the doorbell or the telephone, you should have your hearing tested. If you find it easier to understand someone if you are looking at them when they talk, especially in a noisy place or where there are competing conversations, you probably are a victim of hearing loss.
How can I tell if my child has a hearing problem?
In children you will notice that they are inconsistently responding to sound, and that their language and speech development is delayed and their speech is unclear. If a child turns up the sound on the radio or television and does not follow directions, the problem may be with his or her hearing. If your child often says “Huh?” or does not respond when called, you may want to have their hearing tested.
Don’t most people hear just fine?
As a matter of fact, hearing loss is one of the most commonly unaddressed health conditions in America today. It affects more than 31.5 million Americans, and most of these people are below retirement age. The fact is 30 percent of people over 60 have hearing loss, and 15 percent of people between the ages of 41 and 59 have hearing loss. Anywhere from 15 to 20 percent of school-aged children may have temporary and treatable hearing loss at some point.
If I think I or my child might have a problem, where do I go for help?
Nearly all childhood hearing loss can be treated medically or surgically. Therefore, consult your pediatrician or ear, nose and throat specialist. For adults, about 90-95 percent of hearing loss is not medically or surgically treatable. But hearing aids are very effective in restoring hearing loss. Consult an audiologist and have an audiological evaluation to determine if your hearing loss can be treated medically. If that’s the case your audiologist should refer you to have a medical exam.
Are Hearing Aids Actually Helpful?
Thanks to current technology hearing aids are working better than ever to help people hear better. When properly recommended and fitted a hearing aid user’s success rate is 93 percent, according to the Better Hearing Institute.
If hearing loss is untreated, what can happen?
Studies have shown that if hearing loss is untreated it could lead to emotional and physical conditions such as irritability, anger, fatigue, social rejection, risk to personal safety and reduced psychological health. Untreated hearing loss in children can inhibit learning and communication skills.
