Author: David Morse

Hearing loss can happen to anyone, no matter your age or background. That being said, certain groups of people are more likely to develop hearing loss on average.

Men in particular are at a greater risk of developing hearing loss than women, a phenomenon that has intrigued audiologists for years. In fact, a study by Johns Hopkins University found the risk of hearing loss for men is five times greater than it is for women. Age and race both play a factor in this data, as the gap between men and women usually begins around age thirty, with white men displaying the highest prevalence of hearing loss.

Occupational hearing loss in men

Contrary to what you may think, this disparity is not the result of a difference in biology. If you consider the types of jobs that are typically performed by men, many of them involve regular exposure to extreme noise from their equipment and environment.

While the law requires that workers be provided ear protection in conditions where unsafe volumes are present, a large number of men still neglect to take care of their hearing on the job. If you feel like your workplace is posing a threat to your hearing or are concerned that your hearing loss is not being accommodated, please consult our article on how to discuss your condition at work.

Behavioral risk factors

Since men and women are both born with the same level of hearing, audiologists have concluded that behavioral factors play a huge role in establishing the hearing loss gap. Smoking and certain health conditions such as high blood pressure or heart disease are known to cause hearing loss. These issues are more common in men, confirming the findings in many studies. In another study by the American Journal of Medicine, regular use of NSAIDs and other pain relievers like aspirin and acetaminophen can lead to early hearing loss in men under 60.

Addressing the stigma of hearing loss in men

Despite these risk factors, men are still more likely to avoid being fitted with a hearing aid than women. This could be the result of a stigma against hearing aid use or a fear that wearing a medical instrument will be seen as a sign of weakness. These fears couldn’t be further from the truth, as there is no more shame in correcting hearing loss with hearing aids than correcting a vision problem with eyeglasses. In addition, addressing hearing loss early is known to help prevent the early onset of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease while also protecting from falls and feelings of depression or anxiety.

Many people don’t realize that there are different types of hearing loss. Some affect the ear’s ability to hear higher frequencies, while others muffle or silence lower ones. Male hearing loss typically robs the ear of high-frequency hearing first, while the opposite is true for women. The result? Men have a hard time understanding consonant sounds that contain higher pitches, and women struggle to understand the deep, rounder sounds of vowels. With these hidden factors at play, it’s no wonder so many couples have trouble communicating!

Get help today

Hearing loss in men doesn’t have to be an epidemic. Consulting a hearing care professional at the first sign of hearing loss is the most effective way to treat your condition and prevent it from worsening. If you are worried about your hearing or that of a loved one, please contact us at Purchase Ear Technology by calling (270) 558-3996 or stop by our office at 2008 Broadway, Paducah, KY  42001 to schedule an appointment.  At Purchase Ear Technology in Paducah, we treat you like family!

Imagine you’re celebrating Mother’s Day with your mom and she keeps telling everyone around the dinner table not to mumble. Or maybe she doesn’t hear when your four-year-old asks her to play with him. Maybe she’s been complaining about a bad ringing in her ears. Your mom might have age related hearing loss.

When it comes to their hearing, many older women feel that some hearing loss isn’t their biggest priority. After all, when there are so many other health issues to worry about, being a little hard of hearing can be bearable, right? Unfortunately, it’s not that simple.

What is Age Related Hearing Loss?

Also known as presbycusis, age related hearing loss is one of the most common hearing issues. It’s a sensorineural issue, meaning there’s been deterioration of the auditory nerves. It can come from genetic issues but can also be exasperated by loud noise exposure or head trauma. This kind of hearing loss can range from mild to profound, and the damage is usually permanent.

Symptoms of Age Related Hearing Loss

Does your mom:

• Struggle with high pitch sounds?
• Hear ringing in her ears?
• Have a hard time hearing people talking right in front of her, especially when there is background noise?
• Swear people are mumbling or their speech is slurred?
• Especially struggle with women and children’s voices?

Even if these symptoms seem mild to you, they can snowball into big issues down the line.

The Dangers of Age Related Hearing Loss

According to the CDC, the most common cause of injuries and death from injury for older American is falling, and hearing properly is a large aspect in seniors’ ability to safely stand and move. In fact, a landmark John Hopkins study in 2012 found that even mild hearing loss triples the risk of accidental fall. Risk of falling went up by 140% for every 10 decibels of hearing loss.

Dizziness is a serious concern for those with hearing loss, but that’s not the only way hearing loss could cause falling accidents. For instance, if mom doesn’t hear her dog walking up behind her, she could easily trip over him! Being completely aware of her surroundings makes a huge difference in avoiding accidents in the home.

It’s also important to think about very basic safety concerns. Will your mom be able to hear emergency alarms? Will she hear and understand instructions during emergencies?

As your mom’s hearing declines, she might struggle more and more with mental confusion, isolation, and reduced communication. Otologist and epidemiologist Dr. Frank Lin at John Hopkins University studied how dementia, Alzheimer’s, and other cognitive disorders had connections to hearing loss. The study results showed those disorders increased by 20% for every 10 decibels of hearing loss.

“Our results show that hearing loss should not be considered an inconsequential part of aging,” says Lin, “because it may come with some serious long-term consequences to healthy brain functioning.”

Talking to Mom about Hearing Loss and Hearing Aids

Like many gradually developing health issues, early detection can make all the difference when it comes to age related hearing loss. Getting her hearing tested at an audiologist’s office is the first step to understanding your mom’s hearing loss. The hearing test results will show whether or not she needs hearing aids. However, there can be real resistance to getting the hearing test done.

Your mom knows you want the best for her, but it can be really hard for older people to accept that they might have hearing issues. Approaching them about getting their hearing checked needs to be handled sensitively. Think about where and when you want to have the conversation. You might want to pick a location quiet and discreet where there will be no interruptions from the TV or from other people.

You might be coming from a place of concern, but avoid lecturing her about her health. Sharing what you’ve researched on hearing loss can be helpful. Explain to her how even mild hearing loss might be affecting her daily life, and addressing her hearing now can help avoid losing her hearing completely. Just be careful to stick to the big points; throwing too much information at her during your initial talk can be overwhelming.

Another good approach is to focus on the benefits of hearing aids rather than declining health. Emphasize what hearing aids will help with, such as hearing her grandchildren’s laughter and keeping up with her friends’ conversations. You want her to stay independent, after all, and there’s a good chance she wants that, too.

Why not suggest to mom that you both go together to get your hearing tested? This not only takes the focus off her own health issues, but it also shows that a person of any age should get their hearing tested periodically. This makes the appointment less about her getting hearing aids and more about the family staying healthy.

Getting Mom Hearing Aids

If it is age related hearing loss, there’s a good chance your mom should get hearing aids. With hearing aids, she won’t have to strain and overexert mentally to focus on conversations. They’ll also help keep her more aware of her surroundings and hold onto her independence as she gets older. And while this kind of hearing loss doesn’t have a cure, hearing aids could help her protect the hearing she has left.

When you and Mom are ready to have your hearing tested, we invite you to talk to us at Purchase Ear Technology in Paducah.  Tim Harmon and his staff stand ready to assist you with all of your hearing needs.  To schedule an appointment, give us a call at (270) 558-3996 or stop by our office located at 2008 Broadway, Paducah, KY  42001 or send us a message by CLICKING HERE.

Purchasing hearing aids for the first time starts an individual on a path of rehabilitation similar to other conditions that require the person to learn a set of skills in a new way.

Very commonly, a person with hearing loss has forgotten specific sounds both wanted (a loved one’s voice) and unwanted (noise) that an individual with normal hearing experiences every day.  Tim Harmon, your hearing specialists at Purchase Ear Technology in Paducah  helps patients become familiar with these sounds again, and educates them in what is normal and appropriate expectations in the use of their new hearing aids.

Prepare for brighter hearing

Most individuals seek help with hearing aids only after suffering with varying degrees of hearing loss for several years. People can often go 10 years before seeking help! During this time, a person “learns” to hear the world at a lower volume level.

We have all been in a dimly lit restaurant for lunch on a sunny day. When you leave the restaurant and walk into the sunlight, it can be overwhelmingly bright. You shade your eyes or search for your sunglasses. This occurs after only a few hours.

A similar sensation occurs when you use hearing aids for the first time. You may have not experienced the “brightness” of normal hearing for years, and can be overwhelmed by the “new hearing” you are experiencing with hearing aids.

This is where the importance of a qualified hearing professional comes into play. By helping you understand the rehabilitation process and helping you set appropriate expectations at different stages of your rehabilitation, your ability to adapt to your new hearing will be a smoother, more enjoyable experience for you.

Adapting to your new hearing aids is usually not an overnight process. However, with patience, effort and guidance, appropriate expectations can be set and learning to hear again can be a wonderful experience that will change your life!

For more information on hearing aids in the Paducah, KY region, contact Purchase  Ear Technology at (270) 558-3666 or stop by our office located at 2008 Broadway, Paducah, KY  42001.

What is age-related hearing loss?

Age-related hearing loss (presbycusis) is the loss of hearing that gradually occurs in most of us as we grow older. It is one of the most common conditions affecting older and elderly adults.

Approximately one in three people in the United States between the ages of 65 and 74 has hearing loss, and nearly half of those older than 75 have difficulty hearing. Having trouble hearing can make it hard to understand and follow a doctor’s advice, respond to warnings, and hear phones, doorbells, and smoke alarms. Hearing loss can also make it hard to enjoy talking with family and friends, leading to feelings of isolation.

Age-related hearing loss most often occurs in both ears, affecting them equally. Because the loss is gradual, if you have age-related hearing loss you may not realize that you’ve lost some of your ability to hear.

There are many causes of age-related hearing loss. Most commonly, it arises from changes in the inner ear as we age, but it can also result from changes in the middle ear, or from complex changes along the nerve pathways from the ear to the brain. Certain medical conditions and medications may also play a role.

How do we hear?

Hearing depends on a series of events that change sound waves in the air into electrical signals. Your auditory nerve then carries these signals to your brain through a complex series of steps.

Sound waves enter the outer ear and travel through a narrow passageway called the ear canal, which leads to the eardrum.

The eardrum vibrates from the incoming sound waves and sends these vibrations to three tiny bones in the middle ear. These bones are called the malleus, incus, and stapes.

The bones in the middle ear couple the sound vibrations from the air to fluid vibrations in the cochlea of the inner ear, which is shaped like a snail and filled with fluid. An elastic partition runs from the beginning to the end of the cochlea, splitting it into an upper and lower part. This partition is called the basilar membrane because it serves as the base, or ground floor, on which key hearing structures sit.

Once the vibrations cause the fluid inside the cochlea to ripple, a traveling wave forms along the basilar membrane. Hair cells-sensory cells sitting on top of the basilar membrane-ride the wave.

As the hair cells move up and down, microscopic hair-like projections (known as stereocilia) that perch on top of the hair cells bump against an overlying structure and bend. Bending causes pore-like channels, which are at the tips of the stereocilia, to open up. When that happens, chemicals rush into the cells, creating an electrical signal.

The auditory nerve carries this electrical signal to the brain, which turns it into a sound that we recognize and understand.

Why do we lose our hearing as we get older?

Many factors can contribute to hearing loss as you get older. It can be difficult to distinguish age-related hearing loss from hearing loss that can occur for other reasons, such as long-term exposure to noise.

Noise-induced hearing loss is caused by long-term exposure to sounds that are either too loud or last too long. This kind of noise exposure can damage the sensory hair cells in your ear that allow you to hear. Once these hair cells are damaged, they do not grow back and your ability to hear is diminished.

Conditions that are more common in older people, such as high blood pressure or diabetes, can contribute to hearing loss. Medications that are toxic to the sensory cells in your ears (for example, some chemotherapy drugs) can also cause hearing loss.

Rarely, age-related hearing loss can be caused by abnormalities of the outer ear or middle ear. Such abnormalities may include reduced function of the tympanic membrane (the eardrum) or reduced function of the three tiny bones in the middle ear that carry sound waves from the tympanic membrane to the inner ear.

Most older people who experience hearing loss have a combination of both age-related hearing loss and noise-induced hearing loss.

Can I prevent age-related hearing loss?

At this time, scientists don’t know how to prevent age-related hearing loss. However, you can protect yourself from noise-induced hearing loss by protecting your ears from sounds that are too loud and last too long. It’s important to be aware of potential sources of damaging noises, such as loud music, firearms, snowmobiles, lawn mowers, and leaf blowers. Avoiding loud noises, reducing the amount of time you’re exposed to loud noise, and protecting your ears with ear plugs or ear muffs are easy things you can do to protect your hearing and limit the amount of hearing you might lose as you get older.

What should I do if I have trouble hearing?

Hearing problems can be serious. The most important thing you can do if you think you have a hearing problem is to seek advice from a health care provider. At Purchase Ear Technology in Paducah, Tim Harmon and his staff can perform a variety of test to determine your level of hearing loss.  Once you have been examined and tested, we can help you determine the best way to improve your hearing.  Give us a call today at (270) 558-3996 or stop by our office at 2008 Broadway, Paducah, KY to schedule an appointment today!

1 in 6 adults experience some degree of hearing loss

Imagine dining in a busy restaurant. In the background there are dishes clattering, chairs scraping, people talking and laughing, and waiters rushing about. You are straining to follow what is happening at your table – and the effort of doing this is starting to make you feel more and more tired.

Eventually, you start pretending you can hear. You nod, look interested and laugh with the crowd even though you didn’t get the jokes. You begin to feel left out. When you leave the restaurant you have a throbbing headache, disappointment and no plans to repeat the experience anytime soon.

Hearing loss differs from vision loss

As with the eye, the ear’s performance is affected by aging. However, bad vision gradually makes reading harder as the letters get smaller, but hearing loss is different.

Hearing loss can make certain syllables and sounds harder to hear. For example, high-pitched consonants like f, s and t are easily drowned out by louder, low-pitched vowels like a, o and u. This results in a person with hearing loss complaining that they can hear others are talking, but not what they are saying.

Symptoms of hearing loss

If you can answer YES to one or more of these questions you might have hearing loss:

1. Do you find that people around you mumble or speak softly?

2. Do you find conversations in restaurants or crowded places difficult?

3. Do you often have to turn up the volume on your TV, radio or phone?

4. Do friends and family members complain that they have to repeat what they say to you?

5. Do you have to look at people’s faces in order to be able to understand what they are saying?

6. Have you noticed that everyday sounds, like the twittering of birds, footsteps or the clock ticking, are gone?

Do you think you are experiencing some form of hearing loss?  Tim Harmon and Purchase Ear Technology in Paducah, KY want to help.  Give us a call today at (270) 558-3996 to schedule an appointment or stop by our office located at 2008 Broadway, Paducah, KY.

The weather is getting warmer.  Perhaps you are thinking about your spring or summer travel plans.  Americans love to travel. Older Americans are especially feeling the globetrotting urge. In fact, Baby Boomers are expected to take four or five leisure trips this year, according to a national AARP survey. Maybe you’re one of the 49% of Boomers that travel to relax and rejuvenate, booking an escape to a tropical beach or peaceful resort. Or maybe you’re one of the 57% that travel to spend time with family and friends, planning a long overdue road trip or reunion. About half (49%) of respondents only expect to travel domestically, but that leaves the other half planning to travel domestically and internationally.

Yet for too many Baby Boomers, traveling gets more complicated when you’re dealing with hearing loss. Traveling with hearing aids can be intimidating, but it doesn’t need to be. Here are a few things to keep in mind as you prepare for your trip.

Preparing for Traveling with Hearing Aids

Nothing ruins a trip more than losing a necessity — your passport, your wallet, your ability to hear. It’s even worse if you can’t do anything about it until you get home, meaning you can’t fully enjoy the vacation you’ve been looking forward to. That’s why preparing for your travels is so important. Not only can your preparation help keep your hearing aids in working order, but it puts you at ease for the entirety of your travels.

When packing for your trip, make sure you bring:

• A spare set of hearing aids if possible. You don’t want to travel in silence if you happen to misplace your main set. Pack them in a special spot that you won’t lose track of.
• Extra batteries, tubing, and tips. It’s better to have too many than not enough!
• A dehumidifier jar, especially if you’re going somewhere humid or near water. These climates can increase the risk of moisture and damage to your hearing aids through swimming, humidity, and sweat.
• A protective case to safely store your hearing aids at night, while you shower, when you go swimming, or any other time you take them off and risk misplacing them.
• A cleaning tool. Just because you’re on vacation doesn’t mean you can take a break from cleaning your hearing aids. It’s important to clean them regularly so you keep getting clear sound from your aids.

Flying with Hearing Aids

A major concern people have about traveling is whether they’re able to fly on an airplane with their hearing aids. Does the TSA allow hearing aids? Don’t worry, flying with hearing aids is allowed and encouraged.

Tips For Traveling Via Airplane:

• Wear your hearing aids to the airport. Gate changes and delays happen all the time, and it’s important to hear all airport announcements. TSA procedures do not require you to remove any hearing aids or cochlear implant. Additional screening (a pat-down or inspection of the device) may be required if it alarms the walk-through metal detector or advanced imaging technology.
• Bring your hearing aid accessories in your carry-on. Not only will this prevent losing items because of misplaced luggage or unexpected delays, but you’ll have everything you need at your disposal should you have any problems with your hearing aids.
• Wear your hearing aids during your flight. Unlike other electronic devices such as phones and laptops, you are allowed to use your hearing aids during the entire flight, and you should! It’s important that you’re able to hear the safety instructions and announcements from the airline staff.
• Don’t turn the volume down, even though it can be tempting to “turn off” the airplane engine noise and whining children. Instead, use the noise reduction features on your device to reduce background noise.

Traveling shouldn’t be stressful. To make the most of your trip, just plan ahead and make sure you’ll have everything you need while you’re away from home.

Have questions about traveling with hearing aids?  Tim Harmon, your Paducah hearing specialist,  at Purchase Ear Technology would be glad to answer any questions you have about traveling with hearing aids.  Please feel free to stop by our hearing aid center located at 2008 Broadway, Paducah, KY  42001 or give us a call today at (270) 558-3996.

Hearing loss can be triggered by loud noises or infections, but for most, hearing loss is gradual, age-related and only noticeable as it progresses. Fortunately, impaired hearing can be improved, or even fully corrected, with the use of a hearing aid.

First Signs of Hearing Loss

Hearing loss rarely occurs all of a sudden. It usually develops gradually, over a long period of time – and is therefore imperceptible at first. This is because those affected gradually get used to the onset of hearing loss. Because the brain can compensate for the hearing deficiencies for a long time, there are few disadvantages in everyday life during the first phase.

But from a certain point, hearing loss can no longer be readily compensated for. Often, this is noticed by family and friends of the affected person long before they themselves realize they cannot hear normally.

Even those affected by hearing loss who know that they can no longer hear perfectly often still do nothing for a long time. Using the argument “It’s still OK!”, they put off a hearing test with an audiologist or hearing care professional. This is because being aware of your own hearing loss is one thing, but acknowledging it is not so easy.

The problem is that if you wait too long, you risk serious consequences. Researchers have found that after about seven years, our brains simply lose the ability to understand certain sounds. If you wait too long to get help with hearing aids, even though you will once again be able to hear those sounds again, the brain may not be able to correctly interpret what is being heard.

What happens in the event of hearing loss?

The cause of hearing loss may be found at various points in our complicated, sensitive ears: the outer ear, the middle ear, the inner ear or even the auditory nerve. Hearing loss is not always age-related. It can also be triggered by loud noises, infections, medications or injuries, or may be hereditary.

Often it is the higher frequencies that are affected first. Because these are important for hearing the so-called voiceless consonants (f, s, p, t), the understanding of speech especially in high background noise is noticed first. Depending on the type of hearing loss, other symptoms may appear, for example tinnitus, noise sensitivity, or dizziness. In almost all cases, hearing loss is permanent, and it is often difficult to predict how it will progress.

Those affected are often unaware that untreated hearing loss will eventually have an impact on the mind and quality of life. People with untreated hearing loss often complain of chronic fatigue. For them, conversations are so stressful that they would rather avoid social contact, and they increasingly withdraw. The impact of this self-imposed isolation is very serious. Studies show that older people with untreated hearing loss are more likely to develop dementia than those with normal hearing or people using hearing aids.

What can be done about hearing loss?

Whether or not a hearing aid can be used to compensate for or reduce hearing loss depends on the cause. In most cases, a hearing aid may be beneficial. When amplifying and modulating background noise, the hearing aid takes into account how the auditory response area in our heads processes sounds and voices. Modern technology therefore makes hearing easier and more comfortable again.

Tim Harmon and his staff at Purchase Ear Technology in Paducah, want to help with your hearing loss.  Give us a call today at (270) 558-3996 or stop by our office at 2008 Broadway, Paducah, KY  42001.

Loud environments with a mixture of different sounds always present a challenge in terms of hearing. This is especially true in places where there are lots of people chatting, and where there is background music playing, such as in busy restaurants and bars. Spending time in such places can be extremely frustrating for people with (even limited) hearing loss, simply because they are unable to follow a conversation comfortably. The so-called cocktail party problem is a common early sign of hearing loss.

Many people in the early stages of hearing loss may assume that they are hearing just as well as others in such an environment.  Therefore, it is important for you to pay attention to your hearing in a variety of settings.  Some of the most common signs of hearing loss may include:

• Muffling of speech and other sounds.
• Difficulty understanding words, especially against background noise or in a crowd.
• Trouble hearing consonants.
• Frequently asking others to speak more slowly, clearly and loudly.
• Needing to turn up the volume of the television or radio.

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, we invite you to stop by Purchase Ear Technology for a hearing test.  We are conveniently located at 2008 Broadway, Paducah, KY.  You may also CLICK HERE to contact us!