|
|
|
Home
Hearing
Vision |
|
|
|
Hearing |
|
|
| Do I have a hearing problem? |
| Ask yourself the following questions. If you answer "yes"
to three or more of these questions, you could have a
hearing problem and may need to have your hearing checked by
a doctor. |
| Do I have a problem hearing on the
telephone? |
| Do I have trouble hearing when
there is noise in the background? |
| Is it hard for me to follow a
conversation when two or more people talk at
once? |
| Do I have to strain to understand a
conversation? |
| Do many people I talk to seem to
mumble (or not speak clearly)? |
| Do I misunderstand what others are
saying and respond inappropriately? |
| Do I often ask people to repeat
themselves? |
| Do I have trouble understanding the
speech of women and children? |
| Do people complain that I turn the
TV volume up too high? |
| Do I hear a ringing, roaring, or
hissing sound a lot? |
| Do some sounds seem too loud? |
| |
| What should I do?
Hearing problems are serious. The most important
thing you can do if you think you have a hearing
problem is to go see a doctor. Your doctor may
refer you to an
otolaryngologist (oh-toe-lair-in-GAH-luh-jist), a
doctor who specializes in the ear, nose, and
throat. An otolaryngologist will try to find out
why you have a hearing loss and offer treatment
options. He or she may also refer you to another
hearing professional, an
audiologist (aw-dee-AH-luh-jist). An audiologist can
measure your hearing. Sometimes
otolaryngologists and audiologists work together
to find the treatment that is right for you. If
you need a hearing aid, an audiologist can help
you find the right one. Although children must
be seen by a physician before they can be fitted
for a hearing aid, adults do not always see a
physician. Adults who do not see a physician
before getting a hearing aid must sign a waiver. |
- Lip reading or speech reading is
another option. People who do this pay close attention
to others when they talk. They watch how the mouth and
the body move when someone is talking. Special trainers
can help you learn how to lip read or speech read.
Can my friends and family help me?
Yes. You and your family can work together to make
hearing easier. Here are some things you can do:
- Tell your friends and family about your hearing
loss. They need to know that hearing is hard for you.
The more you tell the people you spend time with, the
more they can help you.
- Ask your friends and family to face you when they
talk so that you can see their faces. If you watch their
faces move and see their expressions, it may help you to
understand them better.
- Ask people to speak louder, but not shout. Tell them
they do not have to talk slowly, just more clearly.
- Turn off the TV or the radio if it does not have to
be on.
- Be aware of noise around you that can make hearing
more difficult. When you go to a restaurant, do not sit
near the kitchen or near a band playing music.
Background noise makes it hard to hear people talk.
|
| |
| Sources: U.S.
National Library of Medicine,
National Institutes of Health | Department of Health & Human Services
|
| |
|
|
|
| Hearing: series of events in which sound waves in the air are
converted to electrical signals, which are sent as nerve impulses to the brain,
where they are interpreted. |
| |
| Hearing loss is one of the most common conditions
affecting older adults. One in three people older than 60
and half of those older than 85 have hearing loss. Hearing
problems can make it hard to understand and follow a
doctor’s advice, to respond to warnings, and to hear
doorbells and alarms. They can also make it hard to enjoy
talking with friends and family. All of this can be
frustrating, embarrassing, and even dangerous. |
| |
| Noise-Induced Hearing Loss: hearing loss caused by exposure to harmful
sounds, either very loud impulse sound(s) or repeated exposure to sounds over
90-decibel level over an extended period of time that damage the sensitive
structures of the inner ear. |
| |
| Audiologist: health
care professional who is trained to evaluate hearing
loss and related disorders, including balance
(vestibular) disorders and tinnitus, and to
rehabilitate individuals with hearing loss and
related disorders. An audiologist uses a variety of
tests and procedures to assess hearing and balance
function and to fit and dispense hearing aids and
other assistive devices for hearing. |
| |
Why am I losing my hearing?
Hearing loss happens for many reasons. Some people lose
their hearing slowly as they age. This condition is known as
presbycusis (prez-buh-KYOO-sis). Doctors do not
know why presbycusis happens, but it seems to run in
families. Another reason for hearing loss may be exposure to
too much loud noise. This condition is known as
noise-induced hearing loss. Many construction workers,
farmers, musicians, airport workers, tree cutters, and
people in the armed forces have hearing problems because of
too much exposure to loud noise. Sometimes loud noise can
cause a ringing, hissing, or roaring sound in the ears,
called
tinnitus (tin-NY-tus). |
| |
|
