This month’s topic: hearing loss

According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communicating Disorders (NIDCD), hearing loss is one of today’s most prevalent chronic health conditions in the U.S. It affects over a quarter of the population, and is the third most common chronic problem among people 65 and older. And it increases with age, affecting almost two-thirds of people 75-plus, and eight out of ten age 85 and older.

There are many reasons why people lose their hearing as they grow older. Genetics can play a role, but for most adults, hearing loss is the cumulative effect of a lifetime of noise and infections. Sometimes, it can be the result of certain drugs’ toxic effect on nerves involved in hearing.

Recognizing Hearing Loss Is the First Step

When people grow older, they tend to develop losses in the highfrequency range that is aggravated by background noise, like in a restaurant, and interferes with normal conversation.

It’s problems like that, or if loved ones raise the issue, when someone realizes that a hearing problem may exist.

In my experience, people are slower to admit problems with their hearing than they might with their vision, because hearing plainly is not thought of as being as critical to their daily lives as seeing clearly. But aside from the frustration caused by hearing loss, there are risks involved. For example, a defect in one’s hearing can affect your balance. For many people a hearing test is not part of their regular health exam. At Sedgebrook, we inquire about your hearing during your first exam, and continue doing so on subsequent visits. If a problem appears to exist, we will refer you to an audiologist for further screening or testing.

A Hearing Aid May Not Be the Answer