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Image by Travis Isaacs via Flickr
Medicare does not cover hearing aids. Buy them anyway, if you need them.
HEARING MATTERS
Ann Brenoff wrote a good article about her husband’s hearing loss in the Huffington Post today. It got me thinking about hearing loss within my family.
To summarize Ms. Brenoff’s observations:
- About 36 million American adults suffer from hearing loss.
- Only 1 out of 5 people who could benefit from a hearing aid actually wear one.
- Hearing loss increases as we age. The statistics are as follows:
18% of 45-to-65-year-olds
30% of 65-to-75-year-olds
47% of 75-year-olds and older
You DO NOT want to lose your hearing. It will negatively impact your life in ways you cannot begin to understand until it is too late.
UNDERSTAND DECIBALS
Hearing aid (Photo credit: Soitiki)
Human beings can detect sounds ranging from zero to 120 decibals (the “threshold of pain”). Constant exposure to loud sounds is the most common cause of hearing loss, although, in some cases, sudden exposure to a loud sound can cause permanent damage.
- 10db, Insect noises at night, open field
- 60db, Average conversation
- 90db, Heavy truck traffic; baby crying; trombone, 16 inches away
- 96db, Jack hammer
- 110db, Electric guitar amp at maximum volume, 6 inches away
- 150db, Permanent damage to hearing
PREVENT HEARING LOSS
iPod Shuffle Earphones (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
To protect yourself from hearing loss, avoid loud sounds or use ear protection. Pay attention to how your ears feel. If your ears are ringing, or hurt from noise, or feel like they are being stuffed, stop what you are doing immediately and protect your ears.
Ear-buds and headphones carry bring the sound closer to the ear and endanger hearing. The best ear protections are earplugs and industrial headsets.
NATURE vs NURTURE HEARING LOSS
There is a proven connection with genetics and hearing loss. My mother became increasingly deaf for the last 20 years of her life. I think it was genetic. Both of her siblings became deaf. Ms. Brenhoff’s husband began to notice his hearing loss in his sixties. So did both his parents.
Two pairs of earplugs, single use and reusable with band. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I bowed out of the professional music scene 25 years ago when I played the viola in symphony orchestras and sat directly in front of the trumpets and trombones. It was an adrenaline rush to be so close to their great noise! I am sure I would be experiencing difficulties with my hearing if I had stayed in the business. Now, I always carry earplugs with me.
Symphony orchestras have evolved to where they try to protect the hearing of their musicians. There are sound shields placed in front of the brass players. Union rules prohibit volume above a certain decibal level.
One of my sisters plays in the Dallas Symphony and understands the danger of noise. Her son is now 17 and a superb jazz bass player. His excellent and wise mother has insisted on the use of earplugs at loud gigs and concerts since he was very young. This is a case of good nurturing. He will need to protect his ears throughout his career.
HEARING AIDS AND QUALITY OF LIFE
As my mother’s hearing worsened, she would fake understanding. At other times, the inability to hear would trigger a dementia episode. It was exhausting to have a conversation with her. Phone calls were hopeless.
Hearing aids. Photo taken in the United States. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Frugal Mom paid retail for state-of the art hearing aids, but they annoyed her because they often amplified the wrong sounds. She was able to participate in conversations and enjoy a social life. Eventually, she declined going out to noisy public places such as restaurants and concerts. As her hearing worsened, she chose to stay in her room rather than social with the people in her house. She was embarrassed that she could not hear. Other times, it was just too much effort to engage.
Mom’s quality of her life took a huge leap forward when we upgraded her hearing aids. They were expensive–$3000 each–but she was able to rejoin her housemates for group movies and social occasions. Her dementia diminished as her hearing improved. I could have a relaxed conversation with her without repeating (or spelling) every word.
Spend the money to buy the very best hearing aids you can afford–and keep track of the latest improvements in the technology. It will make all the difference in quality of life.
