About
Hearing Loss

"A hearing aid is less conspicuous than your hearing loss"

Facts about Hearing Loss

• Hearing loss is second only to arthritis as the most common complaint of older adults
• Only about 10% of hearing losses are helped by surgery or other medical treatment
• 90% of hearing losses can be treated with the use of hearing instruments
• Only 16% of physicians routinely screen for hearing loss
• Noise above 80-90 decibels on average over an 8-hour workday is considered hazardous
• Firearms, music, airplanes, lawnmowers, power tools and many appliances are louder than 80 decibels and potentially hazardous to hearing with prolonged exposure
• A live rock concert produces sounds from 110 to 120 decibels-easily high enough to cause permanent damage to hearing over a 2- to 3-hour period
  

Common signs of Hearing Loss

• You may hear but not understand people
• You may have difficulty understanding radio, television or public address systems
• You need to watch a person's lips in order to understand
• You find yourself asking people to repeat what they have said
• You may pretend to understand
• You may avoid people and isolate yourself
• You may find it emotionally and physically exhausting to communicate
• It appears that you are the only one who has these difficulties
  

Consequences of Hearing Loss

• The emotional consequences are anxiety, depression, negativism, irritability, embarrassment, frustration, anger, low self-esteem, and impatience
  
• The social consequences are avoidance, silence, rejection, loss of intimacy, boredom, withdrawal, misunderstandings, conflict, and misinformation
  
• The physical consequences are indigestion, tension, headaches, high blood pressure, fatigue, heart disease, low tolerance for loud noises, and endangerment
  

How to get Help:

Having your hearing evaluated by an audiologist is the first step in determining if a hearing loss is present.

If hearing aids are appopriate for you the audiologist will help you select the hearing aids that will best meet your personal needs. If the audiologist recommends a visit with the doctor, is recommeded by an audiologist, then we will be glad to schedule an appointment with one of our CENTA physicians for further evaluation.

Information Websites:

1) Better Hearing Institute of Health  - www.betterhearing.org

2) National Institute of Health (Hearing and Balance) - www.nidcd.nih.gov/health

3) Self help for Hard of Hearing People - www.shhh.org