Mary’s husband is a retired Air Force pilot. A common hazard from spending years in the cockpit of powerful military planes is the development of hearing impairment from overexposure to harmful noise levels. Mary has gently nudged her husband to get hearing aids, which she has discovered would be paid for by his Veteran’s insurance. She longs to carry on conversations that are less stressful, easy, and more enjoyable, but he will not budge.
There is a stigma attached to wearing hearing aids. These devices that for the most part are visible to others signify ageism and bring this impairment out into the open. Hard-of-hearing individuals are often not aware of the severity of their impairment. After all, they do not know a lot of what they are missing, much to the frustration of their intimate relationships. Mary longs for the days when they could finish each other’s sentences, and the close way of communicating through their own language, whispers, and subtle cues. Now, talking is a chore, an ordeal that often leads to arguments. It is unfortunately common for the hard of hearing to blame their partner for not speaking loud enough. The hard of hearing may raise their voice to compensate, embarrassing their partner in social settings or public places.
Chances are you know someone or are married to someone who is hard of hearing. If you are like most, the hard of hearing are either in denial about their hearing loss or defensive when approached. It turns out that untended hearing loss can lead to more serious health issues.
According to WebMD, people with hearing loss can feel isolated when they can’t jump into conversations in social settings where noise might overwhelm. Filtering out ambient noise in a restaurant becomes increasingly difficult.
Hearing loss affects brain function. As the saying goes, if you don’t use it, you lose it. With hearing loss, there are less signals going to the brain, and the brain declines.
On the flip side, one’s brain must work harder to process sounds, taking mental resources away that might be used for other activities.
An important reason people might be reluctant to purchase hearing aids is cost. Historically, hearing aids were very expensive, easy to lose, and difficult to operate. Some Medicare Advantage plans offer benefits for hearing aids and hearing exams. Now that the FDA has approved over-the-counter hearing aids for mild to moderate hearing loss, there may soon be lower-cost options.
Technology is stepping into this space by developing hearing APPs on phones that assist hearing through smartphone-compatible hearing aids, and Sound Amplifier that combines an android devices’ microphone and a pair of headphones to use as a hearing aid.
Tip: Make sure to have your hearing-impaired person visit a doctor for an ear check. Seniors often have wax buildup in their ears and a simple ear wash can often restore or improve hearing.
Check out my article in Northwest 50 Plus Here