48 | www.Ups tatePhys i c i ansSC . com | www.Hea l thL i nksUps tate. com HEARING LOSS By the Numbers On average, Americans with hearing loss wait an average of 10 YEARS before getting help. Only 1 IN 5 PEOPLE who would benefit from a hearing aid actually use one. Approximately 1 IN 3 PEOPLE between the ages of 65 and 74 have hearing loss, and nearly half of those older than 75 have difficulty hearing. An estimated 38 MILLION Americans have hearing loss. Source: Hearing Industries Association. MODERATE hearing loss triples the risk of dementia. relationship issues because of miscommunication, and it can hurt emotional well-being because people with hearing loss can begin to disengage and become isolated. Many studies have also found a link between untreated hearing loss and dementia. Family members are often the first to notice a hearing problem. Roses suggests that they tell the person they’re having difficulty communicating with or possibly suggest getting a hearing check to make sure nothing else is going on, such as excessive buildup of wax in the ear. “Usually, they are willing to go if they see it from the other person’s perspective,” Roses said. BUY THE BEST YOU CAN AFFORD If the test shows a hearing aid is necessary, there are options based on need and budget. Roses said the cost begins at $1,500. She said an increasing number of Medicare supplement insurance programs are covering or offering discount programs for hearing aids. “All of the manufacturers have hearing aids with different levels of technology, and we can usually work within a budget. Some hearing aids are better for some patients, depending on lifestyle,” she said. “I tell patients to get the best hearing aid they can afford because it is something they’ll be using every day.” Today’s hearing aids are digital, allowing custom programming based on each person’s specific needs. If a person’s hearing changes, an audiologist can reprogram the hearing aids, Roses said. “Traditional older hearing aids processed all sounds under one set of rules. Today’s hearing aids can separate speech sounds from background noise automatically. They can separate speech from noise,” she said. In addition, most hearing aids are Bluetooth compatible, allowing phone calls, music or other sound sources to be routed directly to the user’s hearing aids. “They work just like wireless earbuds,” Roses said. “It allows people to hear much better on the phone.” Most hearing aids have smartphone apps that allow users to make adjustments and monitor the life remaining in their rechargeable batteries. If a user has tinnitus – a ringing, roaring, hissing or buzzing sound in the ears – wearing a hearing aid can help. Roses suggested people over 60 have their hearing checked every year. “We don’t want people to wait until the problem gets so bad,” she said. “People who get hearing aids tell me all the time that they wish they had done it years ago.”
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