Your Health Matters 11.04.09

By Claudia Parks rn
Columnist

For years I told my husband, “We should invest in hearing aid stocks.” He didn’t pay any attention to me—maybe he didn’t hear me? However, I’ve diagnosed his problem as selective hearing! Kidding aside, there are a lot of folks out and about that really can’t hear! And, they are not just the 65 plus group! Rock star Pat Benatar has been making hit music for decades. Now the rock superstar and Grammy winner has new music and a new message for her peers in the baby boomer generation—tune in to their hearing health! Benatar, who has taken steps during her career to prevent hearing loss, wants to raise awareness about the importance of hearing health education, prevention and treatment. (Go to www.unionsentinel.com to read)The National Institutes of Health estimates that only 1 in 5 people who need a hearing aid get one. Resistance to hearing aids remains high, partly because of their perceived stigma and cosmetic concerns. With new technology, however, clunky, conspicuous hearing aids have largely been replaced with devices that are barely visible. The second reason some individuals do not get hearing aids is the cost! Which I perceive as outlandish when I’ve been told that one hearing aid can cost from $1000 to $4,000 and typically insurance doesn’t pay or even help! (I won’t get into this discussion now!)Hearing aids help by amplifying sound. With the proliferation of digital technology, new hearing aids can do a lot more in a smaller package. Vanity should no longer be used as an excuse to not get a hearing aid. Compared with older “analog” models, new digital hearing aids are less conspicuous. They have more sophisticated, programmable features like noise reduction and automatic adjustment to different environments.“The type of aid that is best for each person depends entirely on the pattern of hearing loss,” explains Charles Limb, M.D., of Johns Hopkins Department of Otolaryngology. “The more complex the nature of hearing loss, the more useful a programmable digital device will be. Someone with selective hearing loss at middle-range frequencies, for instance, would benefit from a digital hearing aid because it can be set to correct for the specific frequency.”“People who don’t benefit from digital or traditional analog hearing aids can consider a bone-anchored hearing aid, or baha,” adds Dr. Limb. A baha is a titanium device that is implanted behind the earlobe and transmits sound through the bone, thus bypassing any damage in the middle ear. “It can be extremely helpful for people who are deaf in one ear or have conductive hearing loss—when sound is not adequately transmitted through the ear canal owing to a blockage like the buildup of scar tissue.”The American Speech, Language and Hearing Association recommends a hearing test every 10 years for adults up to age 50 and every three years thereafter. A hearing test may be recommended sooner if you or your family are worried about your hearing loss…you have a loud hobby, such as woodworking or recreational shooting…and/or you work in an environment with loud music or noise. Hearing tests can be performed by an audiologist (specialist in hearing disorders) or an ear, nose and throat (ENT) doctor. Some insurance plans cover hearing tests. Check with your provider.John M. Burkey, CCC/A, FAAA, a certified audiologist and author of Baby Boomers and Hearing Loss and Overcoming Hearing Aid Fears gives this information on how to determine which hearing aid technology is best for you: Don’t ask for a particular brand. Some of the best hearing aids are manufactured by companies most people have never seen advertised. Examples: GN ReSound, Oticon, Phonak, Siemens and Starkey. Choose an audiologist who handles at least three different brands.If you are dissatisfied with your first choice after three or four weeks of use, return it and try another brand or style of hearing aid. Insist on a money-back guarantee. Most states are required by law to offer a 30-day money-back guarantee. (There may be a non-refundable “trial” fee that should not exceed 10% of the hearing aid’s cost.) Half of all hearing aid malfunctions are caused when too much earwax gets into the device and damages the receiver. Wax guards are available from your audiologist for about $10 each—they are disposable and changed as needed. Do not put off a visit to an audiologist or otolaryngologist if you are have hearing concerns or if you think that your current hearing aid is not meeting your needs. More information: www.audiology.org and www.entnet.org

Claudia Parks, RN is a former doctor’s office and emergency room nurse and retired as an educator from Fulton County Schools. She writes Your Health Matters as a public service; the information here is designed to help you make informed choices about your health. It is not intended as a substitute for the advice of your physician. Claudia and her husband make their home in the beautiful north Georgia Mountains. Claudia can be reached at yhm@windstream.net