Prevention and protection are key in helping to preserve your or your loved ones’ quality of life. Here are our helpful tips to see if someone you love is suffering from hearing loss:

1. Watch to see if their balance is off.

Responsible for our body’s balance, the vestibular system in the inner ear could be causing hearing problems as well as stability issues.

2. Does the person switch which direction they lean in during conversation?

One ear could be affected over the other, causing them to attempt to use their “good ear.”

3. Are they less active in noisy places than they once were?

With moderate hearing loss, higher voices and higher-pitch sounds are harder to hear, as are sounds like p, k, f, h, t, s and sh. We often get frustrated at loud bars when watching a football game or at noisy restaurants — imagine not being able to understand and respond to the server when they ask you, “How should we prepare your burger?”

4. Do they laugh at the wrong time and/or inappropriately?

If you notice your loved one laughing at your jokes more frequently, it may not mean that you’ve hit your comedic stride. It could be that they want to feel engaged and are trying to take social cues from those around without being able to hear what’s going on.

5. Do they say yes or no at the wrong time?

Hearing an inflection in someone’s tone generally means that there’s a question in the conversation; however, that’s not always the case. Watch for this when asking your loved one rhetorical questions — don’t just assume they misunderstood you.

6. Do they turn up the volume on the television, radio, and other devices?

This sign is pretty self-explanatory: If your family member or friend can’t hear well, they are going to make it so that they can. Also watch for closed captioning being used on televisions.

7. Are they becoming less engaged in social situations or even just family situations?

It can be difficult to admit to hearing loss, and at times, the situation is avoided altogether — at all costs. Sounds coming in differently and with less clarity can lead to social anxiety.

8. Do they blame outside noise or others people for a misunderstanding in the conversation or an out-of-place response?

Rather than admit there’s a problem, those affected tend to want to act like there isn’t an issue.

9. Keep an eye out for poor schoolwork or inattention.

While increasing age is often associated with hearing loss, signs of hearing loss in children could come across as irregular speech and language development, apparent inattention, or poor schoolwork.

10. And of course the telltale sign of “What?”

If you constantly need to repeat yourself or clarify what you’ve said, it is a good time for your loved one to get their hearing checked.

If more than a few of these hit home, it’s time to start the conversation about a solution. The first step is the easiest: finding your hearing professional. Hearing professionals are specially trained to perform a thorough hearing evaluation and create a proper treatment plan. Contacting us first will help you avoid spending time and money at a general practitioner who will more than likely send you to us!

Questions? Call +254 718 994 368 / 733 994 368 or E-mail: wecare@pathwayintl.co.ke

PATHWAY INTERNATIONAL: providing Global Healthcare Solutions

The post 10 Telltale Signs of Hearing Loss appeared first on Pathway International.

According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, only about one out of five people who would benefit from a hearing aid actually use one. So kudos to you for beginning your better-hearing journey with us! Let’s squash those hearing aid misconceptions and myths now so you can be confident in taking the next step.

The following 10 myths and misconceptions about hearing and hearing aids are something you’ll want to hear!

One.

Myth: Personal sound amplifiers are the same as hearing aids.

Fact: The two are not one and the same. Amplifiers were created for recreational activities, increasing overall volume rather than adapting to your environment the way hearing aids do. These devices can actually damage hearing rather than help it and are not FDA approved to replace hearing aids.

Two.

Myth: Hearing aids will make everything sound too loud.

Fact: With advanced sound processing and noise-reduction technology, today’s hearing aids are ready for whatever listening situation you find yourself in. Going to a busy restaurant? A sporting event? Simply want to relax and watch television? Hearing aids are now fit to your unique hearing loss, your lifestyle, and your most frequent listening situations.

Three.

Myth: Buying hearing aids online or by mail saves me time and money.

Fact: Consumer information from the Federal Trade Commission warns consumers that “buying a hearing aid online or through the mail is risky. In fact, some states don’t allow hearing aids to be sold through the mail at all. That’s because an aid needs to be custom fitted and tested to be sure it’s working properly.”

As an AudigyCertifiedTM practice, we utilize an ongoing education process for our entire office that ensures we are experts at figuring out your better-hearing goals, diagnosis, and listening lifestyle, as well as how to provide support for each piece.

Four.

Myth: Hearing aids are ugly and remind people of old age.

Fact: Today’s consumers are more connected than ever before, with mobile access anywhere and everywhere. This ever-evolving technology has stemmed to hearing aids. New technology means countless fits for all lifestyles, from receiver-in-the-canal hearing aids to those that are designed to be virtually invisible. You could say that hearing loss is more noticeable than a hearing aid!

Five.

Myth: Hearing aids are just too expensive.

Fact: Well-fit, well-maintained devices, along with care from a hearing care professional, are invaluable. Your hearing care professional is able to adjust your new technology to your lifestyle so the devices can perform at an optimum level. They are also there to help you relearn how to hear with the technology.

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association says it perfectly: By working with a hearing care professional, you are purchasing professional care and services to ensure that the correct hearing aid is selected and that proper programming of the hearing aid is completed, plus additional follow-up services.

Six.

Myth: Hearing aids will restore my hearing to normal.

Fact: Hearing aids are called “aids” because they help — they don’t cure. They help retrain your brain to pick up the sounds that hearing loss has conditioned the brain to miss. Because of this, getting your hearing aids to work for you instead of the other way around is a process, not a single appointment.

Seven.

Myth: I can hear in one ear, so I only need one hearing aid.

Fact: When one ear is slightly better than the other, we learn to favor that ear for the telephone, group conversations, and so forth. It can give the illusion that “the better ear” is normal when it isn’t. Most types of hearing loss affect both ears fairly equally, and about 90% of patients are in need of hearing aids for both ears.

Eight.

Myth: I’ve tried hearing aids before and they didn’t work for me.

Fact: Hearing aid technology changes as rapidly as any other technology out there. Advancements in digital hearing aids make for clearer speech, less background noise, and an overall more enjoyable and natural listening experience. Again, it’s important to go to a trusted hearing care professional at an AudigyCertified practice to help get the most appropriate device and to learn how to use it properly.

Nine.

Myth: I only have trouble hearing certain sounds, not hearing in general, so I don’t need hearing aids.

Fact: Sound familiar? Hearing loss is just that: a loss of certain sounds. Hearing care professionals program hearing aids to amplify the sounds you’re missing and enhance the hearing that’s left. If you’re missing some of the sounds, you’re missing all of the conversation.

Ten.

Myth: Tinnitus is an incurable disease.

Fact: Tinnitus is not a disease; it’s a condition resulting from things like loud-noise exposure and neurological damage. There is no cure, but there is treatment. Hearing care professionals can help you determine whether tinnitus is present and whether it is mild, moderate, or severe. They can then create a customized treatment plan that may include hearing aids, earwax removal, changing medications, or other alternatives.

Now that you’ve gotten an earful of facts from us, you’ve probably noticed a theme: the importance of a hearing care professional. Make sure you take the time to find one whom you trust, who takes the time to get to know you and your hearing needs. This is essential to getting the most out of your technology and, in turn, your life

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