www.Ups tatePhys i c i ansSC . com | www.Hea l thL i nksUps tate. com | 47 For some people, especially older adults, those are familiar refrains. Hearing loss can be frustrating – both for people who have difficulty hearing and for their family, friends and co-workers. But there’s no reason to suffer in silence. With advances in technology, even today’s basic digital hearing aids are vast improvements over the best hearing aids of previous generations. “Today’s hearing aids are digital and can be programmed based on a person’s individual hearing loss,” said Dr. Lori Roses, a doctor of audiology at Palmetto Primary Care Physicians in Summerville. “It’s no longer one-size-fits-all. We can finetune them to meet the needs of the patient.” A PREVALENT PROBLEM According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, hearing loss is the third most common chronic physical condition, trailing only arthritis and heart disease. An estimated 48 million American adults have some degree of hearing loss, based on estimates provided by the Hearing Loss Association of America. NIDCD also noted that approximately 1 in 3 people in the United States between the ages of 65 and 74 have hearing loss, and nearly half of those older than 75 have difficulty hearing, a number that jumps to more than 85% with people 85 and older. Hearing loss affects more men than women. Men between the ages of 20 and 69 are twice as likely as women to have trouble hearing, a disparity that is likely due to employment and lifestyle, Roses said. “Noise exposure is a leading cause of hearing loss,” Roses explained, “and men are more likely to work in loud environments such as construction, industry and the military.” Generally, as people age, they lose hearing at the higher frequencies – women’s and children’s voices, for example. “Consonant sounds are at the higher frequencies, and vowels are at lower frequencies, so if a person has hearing loss at higher frequencies, it can become difficult to understand what people are saying. It might sound like people are mumbling because they don’t hear all of the sounds,” Roses said. A DECADE OF HEARING ISSUES “Hearing loss is a common problem, but it comes on slowly and often goes unnoticed by the person and untreated. The average person waits 10 years from the time they need a hearing aid to when they get one. Hearing loss is not like a physical disability like a limp. You can’t see it, so it often goes unnoticed when people get checkups because it’s not in the forefront,” Roses said. Only about 17% of Americans ages 20 to 69 who need hearing aids actually use one, despite the fact that untreated hearing loss has health and social implications. It can cause Experienced Providers: Connie Casebolt, MD MPH | Amanda Dyar Moss, NP Schedule a consultation today 864-778-5322 Tired of not feeling your best? Want to optimize your health to be your most vibrant self? Greenville’s Leading Integrative Medicine Practice Utilizing advanced methods of integrative medicine, evaluation and treatment, we’re your partner on your journey to a healthy, vibrant life. Specializing in: • Addiction IV Therapy • Hormone Imbalance • IV Therapy • Beauty & Aesthetics • Gut Health • Menopause • Urinary Incontinence • Erectile Dysfunction
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