Hear this: Hearing loss is on the rise

At first, you may not notice any change. You simply turn up the volume on your TV or uncon-sciously strain to understand a conversation. One of the first clues that your hearing isn’t as good as it used to be may come when you’re at a party and can’t make out what your friends are saying. Or maybe you notice you have a problem hearing over the telephone. When these sorts of experiences occur regularly, there’s no denying that you have hearing loss. It’s time to seek help.

It is estimated that about 10 percent of the population have some degree of hearing loss. A major cause is age. One-third of people age 65-75, and half of those age 75 and older, are hard of hearing. But hearing loss isn’t just a condition of advancing years. In fact, it’s on the rise among people from their teens to their 40s. That’s because the single biggest cause of hearing loss is also on the rise: loud noise.

The world has become a noisier place in recent years, with much of the pumped-up volume coming in the form of entertainment, like sophisticated sound systems in movie theaters, and convenience devices, such as blow dryers and vacuum cleaners. Loud noise degrades sensory cells in the ear, cells that don’t grow back and can’t be replaced. And because these cells naturally deteriorate with age, the damage by loud noise makes age-related hearing loss even worse.

The last several years have also seen advances in the treatment of hearing loss. Hearing aids are smaller and less obtrusive than ever before, helping to erase the stigma of wearing them. Now, hearing aids also perform better, which makes them more helpful to working people and others with active social lives. New forms of surgery are enabling people with profound hearing loss to hear words, music, and other sounds that, until recently, they had no hope of hearing.

Hearing Aid

Though many people could benefit from wearing a hearing aid, very few do so in part because these devices have, in the past, been more trouble than they were worth. Squawks, whistles, and amplification problems were often the norm.

However, the technology that powers hearing aids has improved dramatically in recent years – particularly with the advent of true digital signal processing in 1997. If you’re hard of hearing, it’s worth your while to give these devices a fresh try.

If you think you have hearing loss, it’s important to have a medical screening by your physician to rule out causes that can be helped medically – from fluid in your ears and earwax to tumors. Up to 10 percent of adult hearing problems are medically or surgically treatable. Your doctor may refer you to an otolaryngologist, a physician who specializes in ear, nose, and throat disorders, or an audiologist, a hearing health professional, to investigate the cause of your hearing loss and to determine if hearing aids could help.

Hearing aids are electronic, battery-operated devices that change and amplify sounds to allow for improved communication. Evaluation to see if you need hearing aids is pretty simple. An audiologist performs tests to see how well you understand speech and evaluates the type and degree of hearing loss by testing for the tones and pitches you can hear. Lifestyle factors are also important considerations. There may be only mild to moderate hearing loss measured on an audiogram, but the person involved may find that devastating, depending on the requirements of his/her job.

If you need a hearing aid, the audiologist will explain what you can expect from the style most appropriate for you, and whether you need two aids, although hearing may be better in one ear, because two devices provide a better sense of balance and spatial orientation and reduce background noise.

Before you can be fitted for hearing aids, you’ll need clearance from your physician, attesting that medical or surgical treatment cannot improve your hearing. Impressions of your ears will be taken in order to custom-fit your hearing aids. At a return visit to the audiologist a couple of weeks later, you will receive your hearing aids and verify a comfortable fit. At that time, these are programmed to specific hearing needs and you will be taught how to use and care for the hearing aids. Three weeks later, you’ll return to the audiologist to see if your hearing aid needs certain changes. You’ll schedule an annual visit to make other adjustments, to clean the hearing aids, and to check the integrity of the circuitry!

Hearing-Aid Technology

Unlike eyeglasses that can completely correct a vision problem, no hearing aid is a perfect substitute for normal hearing. However, advanced signal processing technology makes the most of your hearing capacity. Today, digital signal processing (DSP) hearing aids come in various styles and contain a microchip that audiologists can fine-tune to meet your listening needs.

Older conventional hearing aids had volume controls – if you turned them up, everything became louder. With new hearing aids, that doesn’t happen. DSP hearing aids have compression circuits that automatically provide more gain, or power, for soft sounds, and less gain when sounds are not loud. Many of the new-generation digital hearing aids employ directional microphone technology. This promotes better hearing over background noise because the technology reduces the intensity of the sounds behind you.

Prices for hearing aids usually range from about P3,000 to P130,000 or more, for a single hearing aid, with higher-priced devices having the most sophisticated digital processing. Lower-level modes do not have the adaptive microphone technology that can reduce background noise.

Location, Location, Location

Hearing aids come in several styles, each with advantages and limitations (see diagram).

• Behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids fit behind or over your ear. A custom ear mold holds the aid in place and focuses direct sound into your ear. People with a wide range of hearing losses can use this style. These aids tend to be durable, and also allow users to hear their own voices without distortion.

• In-the-ear (ITE) hearing aids are custom-designed to fit into the ear, filling most of the visible portion. There are no external wires or tubes, and this style is very lightweight. ITE hearing aids can be used for mild to moderately severe hearing loss, but they are not recommended for severe to profound hearing loss or for people who have problems with finger or hand dexterity that make manipulating small controls difficult.

• In-the-canal (ITC) hearing aids are custom-designed to fit more deeply into the ear canal than ITE hearing aids. They are cosmetically appealing because they are less visible than in-the-ear hearing aids. However, because of their small size, they cannot house as much technology as other models and can be used only by people with mild to moderate hearing loss.

• Completely-in-the-canal (CIC) hearing aids fit deeply into the ear canal, offering an almost invisible hearing aid. Because they are positioned so close to the eardrum, they improve sound quality and reduce "echo" sensations and feedback on the telephone. However, the aid’s battery is very small, lasting much less longer then the battery used in other styles. The aid’s size is difficult to manipulate if you have manual dexterity problems. Getting the right fit for CIC hearing aids can require additional appointments. The shape of the ear canal or severity of hearing loss can also prevent some people from being able to use this style.

Be aware that adjusting to hearing aids takes some time. Typically, you’ll be given a trial period after which, if you’re not satisfied, you can return the device. Hearing aids generally come with a warranty of one to two years. Depending on how it’s cared for, a hearing aid can last five or more years. The key is finding the right aid for your hearing loss and having realistic expectations on what it can do for you.