Southwest Florida's Health and Wellness Magazine Health and Wellness Articles
These words describe people with hearing loss. Because when you recognize, acknowledge, and address hearing loss, it doesn’t have to get in your way.
For the vast majority of people with hearing loss—young and old—there are solutions that help. Like so many things in life, hearing loss presents barriers. Yes, it’s a hurdle. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be overcome!
Technology is moving fast. And each year it seems to pick up speed. Even in the last year alone, there have been tremendous advances that help people hear better everywhere they need to hear. Many of today’s hearing aids allow users to hear from all directions, in all sorts of sound environments, and even underwater. They are digital, wireless, and virtually invisible. “When I look at the tools and capabilities we have today to help the hearing impaired, compared to even FIVE YEARS AGO, I am astounded”, states John Hoglund of Hoglund Family Hearing and Audiology Center. Research is ongoing. And we can better help children and adults build effective “listening” and communications skills—despite their hearing loss. We can really change lives of those who need clarity of speech!
Consequences of Hearing Loss
Many people are aware that their hearing has deteriorated but are reluctant to seek help. Perhaps they don’t want to acknowledge the problem, are embarrassed by what they see as a weakness, or believe that they can “get by” without using a hearing aid. And, unfortunately, too many wait years, even decades, to address the effects of hearing loss before getting treatment.
But time and again, research demonstrates the considerable effects of hearing loss on development as well as negative social, psychological, cognitive and health effects of untreated hearing loss. Each can have far-reaching implications that go well beyond hearing alone. In fact, those who have difficulty hearing can experience such distorted and incomplete communication that it seriously impacts their professional and personal lives, at times leading to isolation and withdrawal. New evidence provided by Johns Hopkins research indicates that untreated hearing loss DRAMATICALLY increases the incidence of MEMORY LOSS!
Studies have linked untreated hearing loss effects to:
• irritability, negativism and anger
• fatigue, tension, stress and depression
• avoidance or withdrawal from social situations
• social rejection and loneliness
• reduced alertness and increased risk to personal safety
• impaired memory and ability to learn new tasks
• reduced job performance and earning power
• diminished psychological and overall health
Hearing Loss Treatment
It would seem that hearing treatment is a second-rate priority when compared to vision in our visually oriented modern society. People with hearing loss often delay hearing impairment treatment because they are unaware of the fact that receiving early hearing treatment has the potential to literally transform their lives, and that EARLY INTERVENTION is critically to maintaining speech understanding. “The earlier we start”, states Mr. Hoglund, “the easier the transition, and the better the clinical outcome for the Patient!”
Hearing Aids
Research by the National Council on the Aging on more than 2,000 people with hearing loss as well as their significant others demonstrated that hearing aids clearly are associated with impressive improvements in the social, emotional, psychological, and physical well-being of people with hearing loss in all hearing loss categories from mild to severe. Specifically, hearing aid usage is positively related to the following quality of life issues. Hearing loss treatment was shown to improve:
• Earning power
• Communication in relationships
• Intimacy and warmth in family relationships
Ease in communication
• Emotional stability
• Sense of control over life events
• Perception of mental functioning
• Physical health
And just as importantly hearing loss treatment was shown to reduce:
• Discrimination toward the person with the
hearing loss
• Hearing loss compensation behaviors
(i.e. pretending you hear)
• Anger and frustration in relationships
• Depression and depressive symptoms
• Feelings of paranoia
• Anxiety
• Social phobias
• Self-criticism
• Cognitive decline and memory problems
If you are one of those people with a mild, moderate or severe hearing loss, who is sitting on the fence, consider all the benefits of hearing aids described above. Hearing aids hold such great potential to positively change so many lives. CALL (239) 498-7142 TODAY to receive a FREE HEARING SCREENING from our clinic! Hear What You Are Missing…and enjoy life again!
Hoglund Family Hearing And Audiology Center
Fifteen 8th Street (Next to Royal Scoop Ice Cream)
Bonita Springs, FL 31434
(239) 498-7142
Southwest Florida Tinnitus And Hearing Center
10020 Coconut Rd. Ste.120 (Next to LabCorp)
Estero, FL 34135
(239) 992-HEAR (4327)