Issue 31.12
Did you know that more than 11% of the US population has hearing loss that affects everyday life? That’s more than 34 million people!
Your sense of hearing is precious. Hearing contributes to personal safety, emotional wellbeing, and independence. Through your hearing you are able to communicate directly with others and experience the sounds in your environment.
It’s no wonder that hearing loss can be a challenge! Studies have linked the effects of untreated hearing loss to many problems, including stress, depression, isolation, reduced earning power, and even health issues. But thanks to major strides in the field of hearing care, there are solutions for you that can improve your life.
You are not alone– Hearing loss often occurs naturally, as people get older. We commonly associate hearing loss with advancing age but that is not the whole picture. Although hearing loss is common in older adults, affecting approximately 30% of people over age 60, hearing changes can occur in one’s 30’s and 40’s.
A surprising fact is that 65% of individuals with hearing loss are below retirement age. About 15% of Baby Boomers, age 41-59, and more than 7% of Gen Xers (age 29-40) already have significant issues with their hearing.
Because hearing loss occurs so gradually, its effects are sometimes not immediately obvious. It’s typically not easy to recognize a change in one’s own hearing. Often it’s a friend, co-worker or family member that points it out. But often it’s hard to believe that it’s happening to you.
How to Tell Whether You Have a Hearing Loss
Hearing changes often do not result in an overall loss of volume. Some sounds remain as audible as they always were, yet others become harder to hear, and some conversations require more attentiveness.
You might notice that words just don’t sound clear. Many people with hearing loss find it especially difficult to hear certain sounds because their hearing loss affects a certain range of pitches. In typical hearing loss, softer, higher pitch sounds become harder to hear, particularly from a distance.
Speech has many quiet, rapidly changing high pitched sounds. A lot of guesswork may be needed to understand the actual word if some of the speech sounds are not heard clearly. An example is the word “fit” which can easily be confused with “sit”, “tick” or “sick”.
Conversations become more challenging when someone is speaking indirectly, or when there is background noise.
Taking good care of your hearing is your responsibility
It’s up to you to be alert to the signs and have your hearing checked if you suspect that your hearing may be changing. People get their eyes tested and their teeth checked on a regular basis, so why not look after your ears too? It might just be earwax. If there is a problem, a solution can be found. Consider how precious your hearing is. You can get help and get so much more out of life.
If you are age 50 or better contact a provider for your FREE Annual Evaluation. The provider will administer painless tests that measure your hearing, understanding, ear functionality, and evaluation results can be used to improve your life.
To schedule your FREE Hearing Evaluation ($150 value) call 435-628-3192 today. We have several offices throughout the Southern Utah area. Visit us online at www.NilssonHearingOnline.com or call 435-628-3192.
Eric W. Nilsson, B.S., BC-HIS is a Nationally Board-Certified Hearing Instrument Specialist At Nilsson Hearing Center.