Listen Up! The importance of hearing to your health and happiness.

Hearing connects us. We live in a visual world. Vision, typically viewed as your primary sense, tops the priority list for many people. Hearing on the other hand, tends to be underappreciated.

But hearing is the only one of your five senses to always be on constant alert. Your sense of hearing is tightly intertwined into your awareness and sense of self. Hearing is also essential for two of the most valued human activities—speech and music.

Humans can be defined by their cultivation of these sophisticated modes of expression and communication. Healthy hearing is vital to your life, living happily, fully immersed in your world.

What would your life be like on mute?

What would you do if you could never appreciate the hum of a conversation with friends? The joys of a song on the radio? The chirps of a robin outside your window?

Hearing loss is far more prevalent than you might think.

• In the US alone, 48 million people live with some amount of hearing loss.
• More than one in five teenagers struggle with hearing loss.
• Over half of veterans will suffer from hearing loss and ringing in the ears.
• Over half of those with hearing loss are under the age of 65.
• It can take someone living with hearing loss almost a decade before they seek proper diagnosis and treatment. Hearing loss is associated with a growing list of health issues which detract from overall physical and mental health.
• People with slight hearing loss have an almost three-fold increase in their risk of falling.
• Hearing loss is twice as common in people with diabetes.
• People with even mild hearing loss are twice as likely to develop dementia.
• Hearing loss is linked to accelerated brain tissue loss and subsequent diminished cognition.
• There is a strong correlation between hearing loss and cardiovascular disease.
• 10% of the U.S. adult population lives with ringing in the ears, 90% of whom experience hearing loss.

Untreated hearing loss can lead to unintended social consequences including:

• Depression and anxiety related to stress and frustration
• Self-imposed isolation and avoidance of social occasions
• Safety concerns due to decreased awareness
• Decreased job performance

What can you do? 

Take fifteen seconds and answer the following questions.

• Do you find it frustrating to have a telephone conversation?
• Do you find it difficult to follow a conversation when several people are talking at once?
• Do people ask you to turn down the volume on the TV or radio?
• Do you have trouble hearing with noise in the background?
• Do you ask people to repeat themselves often?
• Do you ask people to speak more clearly?
• Do you have trouble understanding women and children?
• Do you misunderstand what people say, leaving you both frustrated?
• Do you hear frequent ringing, roaring, or hissing sounds?

If you answered yes to 3 or more of these questions, the National Institute of Health recommends a complete evaluation by an audiologist.

How did you respond to these questions?

Worried about your hearing?

You may not know how much you are missing.

Your hearing is your most valuable possession, make it your priority.

Optimum hearing is at your fingertips!

Call to request an appointment today with Dr. Stella Fullman or Dr. Zhanneta Shapiro at Audiology Island.

Your hearing health is their top priority!

Audiology Island provides full hearing evaluations for people of all ages, but rehabilitation for those with hearing loss or ringing in the ears. We also carry a wide variety of hearing aids, some almost invisible, for your selection. Free trial included.

Resources:

https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/statistics/quick-statistics-hearing

John Hopkins Medicine News