Millions of Americans suffering from hearing loss are hesitant to correct it. One of the primary reasons is the prohibitive cost — even inexpensive custom hearing aids can run in the thousands of dollars, and are rarely if ever covered by insurance. While people of all ages suffer from hearing loss, older people — who are often on fixed incomes — are affected in much higher percentages. Because of this, mass-produced sound amplifiers from retailers like Radio Shack are gaining in popularity.
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Like black and white cookies or pizza-by-the-slice, hearing ranges widely in quality.
One attempt to standardize the diagnosis and treatment is the implementation of degrees of hearing loss. Audiologists break hearing loss into five degrees: mild, moderate, moderately severe, severe and profound. Patients are categorized into a degree by the softest sound they are able to hear.
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The entire scope of sensorineural hearing remains somewhat mysterious. New information in the struggle against loss of hearing is highly prized, especially when a genetic connection can be established.
Such is the case with this new information from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.
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Hearing isn’t just about your ears. In order for you to be able to function, many different parts of your body have to be in harmony. At the heart of it all is – you guessed it – the heart. If your ticker isn’t working correctly, it can negatively impact your lungs, kidneys, liver, AND hearing.
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As all of the blind readers of this blog know, hearing is about more than just your ears. Posture and facial expression also play a huge role in one’s ability to interpret auditory clues and properly register sound. For those with hearing loss, body language can gain even more importance, as the sensorineural pathways lose their effectiveness.
It seems like there might be yet a third sense involved in hearing – touch.
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According to statistics recently published in Healthy People 2010, a scant 17% of the adults aged 20-69 who suffer from hearing loss use aids. For those 70+, the number is better but still below 30%.
For many of those, finding an affordable hearing aid is the problem.
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Hearing troubles aren’t only for the old; millions of young Americans suffer from hearing loss. Hearing loss in children is particularly troublesome because they are still developing their communication skills.
Protecting your child’s hearing is as important as protecting the rest of her well-being. With Christmas right around the corner, here are some toys to avoid if you want to ensure that your child’s auditory health.
1. Fisher Price Learning Letters Mailbox
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We know how important it is to make sure you can hear the world around you: Dunshaw exists for that very reason. This blog has often harped on the importance of getting fitted for a hearing aid if you need one, and the many benefits that it bestows.
But how do you know if you need a hearing aid?
The best way is to get a hearing test.
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Effective communication is more than good hearing, and good hearing is more than amplified noise. Despite all of the dedicated research, the exact mechanisms behind hearing loss remain mysterious; but a New York hearing loss study might have peeled back the veil a tiny bit.
The study used a species of mouse, the CBA, that gradually lost its ability to hear higher frequencies over time – like humans. While these mice were good for studying similar effects, they weren’t the best mice for breeding. To increase the yield, researcher Robert Frisina cross-bred them with a more virile sort of mouse, C57 Black 6 – known for their poor hearing.
The results were startling.
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The Better Hearing Institute estimates that 30% of Americans over the age of 60 suffer from some form of hearing loss.
Much of this hearing loss is sensorineural hearing loss than can’t be cured; however, hearing aids can greatly increase the quality of life for those afflicted with hearing loss. By hearing better, these people can be more active, more social, and generally more engaged in their lives. Unfortunately, hearing aids are expensive, sometimes prohibitively so, and are not covered under insurance plans.
So why is Congress taking so long to help?
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