Is your hearing diminishing as you age?

Hearing is something we take for granted until we can’t. Leona Phillips had noticed that when she was in a crowd, her hearing was diminishing. But after she lost nearly 70 percent of her hearing in one ear due to a severe ear infection, she knew it was time for a hearing aid. 

Our sense of hearing is essential for daily living. Being able to hear keeps us connected with the outside world and helps avoid isolation. Studies have shown that isolation can be as deadly and detrimental to health as smoking a pack of cigarettes every day. It has been found that hearing can be diminishing with age and people who experience hearing loss tend to isolate themselves and give up many of the activities they formerly enjoyed. As well, scientific studies have linked hearing loss with dementia. According to the Alzheimer’s Society there is a clinical link between hearing loss and the progression of the disease. 

Our ears are a combination of mechanics and electrical impulses that allow us to hear the faintest of whispers or the roar of thunder. How we hear is truly amazing. Sound is transmitted via soundwaves entering the ear canal through the eardrum. These soundwaves cause the eardrum to vibrate which sets three small bones called the Hammer, Anvil and Stirrup in motion. This motion causes the fluid in the middle ear or Cochlea to move making the hair cells in the Cochlea bend. This changes the sound waves into electrical impulses which are transmitted via the Auditory Nerve to the Auditory Cortex in the brain where these impulses are interpreted as sound.

There are three types of hearing loss. Conductive, Sensorineural, and Mixed. 

Conductive hearing loss is caused by a problem with the middle and outer ear and could be caused by wax build up in the ear canal or a ruptured eardrum. 

Sensorineural hearing loss is caused when there is damage to the tiny hair-like cells in the inner ear or to the auditory nerve. This causes the nerve signals to be blocked impacting the loudness and clarity of sound. Sensorineural hearing loss can develop over time due to long term exposure to loud sounds. As well, this type of hearing loss can occur instantaneously from a short blast of noise like a gunshot or an explosion. Viral infections and even some types of medication can also cause this type of hearing loss. In addition, Tinnitus or a ringing in the ear can contribute to diminished hearing as well.

There are preventative measures to take now so that hearing loss doesn’t have to occur or be as severe. Hearing specialists or Audiologists recommend protecting the ears from excessively loud sounds. For example, if you work in a noisy environment, use ear protection, and avoid listening to music at high decibel levels especially if using ear buds. “If in any environment or social engagement, if you need to raise your voice to have a conversation, this means that the background noise is loud enough to be hazardous to our hearing,” explains Kim Galick a Registered Hearing Instrument Practitioner and Owner/Operator of Ears Hearing Clinics. “In a circumstance like that the use of custom ear protection or earmuffs is highly recommended at all times,” she adds. 

Hearing aids have come a long way from the first ones many years ago. “The use of ear trumpets for the partially deaf, date back to the 17th century,” says Galick. At first, an eartTrumpet was used to amplify the sounds of conversation and in 1895, the movement toward the modern hearing aid began with the invention of the telephone. Today, most hearing aids are digital and as technology advances, so will hearing aids. 

While hearing aids do an excellent job of helping a person to hear, they cannot replace the auditory function of the human ear, so they are not totally perfect. “I would like hearing aid users or potential users to remember that hearing aids are not a replacement for natural good hearing, but they sure are an excellent ‘aid’ in making a huge impact on a person’s life,” explains Galick.

As the population ages, there are more and more hearing clinics springing up. If your doctor has advised you to get a hearing aid, it’s important to find the right Hearing Instrument Practitioner to help you. Galick offers some advice when deciding on a hearing clinic. “Did the professional take the time to listen to your concerns? Did you feel rushed during the appointment? Did they explain things to you in a way you could understand? In other words, no jargon,” she explains.

It’s hard to imagine a soundless world and the ability to hear promotes a healthy and happy life. For Leona Phillips getting a hearing aid was a blessing. She says “I can hear my grandson’s voices clearly again. The day I left the clinic, I stopped in amazement. There were two airplanes in the sky, and they were barely a speck in the distance, and I could hear them.”