Senior Beat
by Carol Higgins Taylor
Special to The Weekly
I remember my mother predicting that my hearing could be in danger if I didn’t turn down the music. Turns out she was right. Now, at middle age, I find myself saying “what?” more often. I always assumed everyone was mumbling but perhaps not.
According to the National Institute on Aging, one of the most common causes for hearing loss is loud noises. Music qualifies as does lawn mowing, snowblowing and a host of other activities. But, there are other reasons for hearing loss, including some medical problems such as strokes, heart conditions, ear wax build-up or even certain medications.
Whether hearing loss is slight or severe, it can have serious ramifications to a person’s
quality of life and safety, such as withdrawing from social interactions or being unable to hear a smoke alarm.
The NIA website recommends seeing a healthcare provider if you are experiencing the
following symptoms:
• Having trouble hearing over the telephone.
• Finding it hard to follow conversations when more than one person is talking.
• Frequently asking people to repeat themselves.
• Turning up the TV volume so loud that others complain.
• Having problems hearing because of background noise.
• Thinking that others seem to mumble (uh-oh).
• Difficulty understanding voices in the higher register like women’s or children’s.
There are two common causes of hearing loss in seniors: presbycusis (prez-bee-KYOO-
sis) that comes on gradually with aging process and varies in severity from person to person, and tinnitus (TIH-nih-tuhs or tih-NIE-tuhs) that is known as ringing in the ears, although can include roaring or hissing noises as well.
NIA offers tips to help you compensate for hearing loss, and while admitting it may be
difficult, it is better than missing out.
So let people know that you have trouble hearing and ask them to face you when speaking, to speak slowly and clearly, and please no shouting, as it doesn’t help. It does help to pay close attention, not just to the words being spoken, but to facial expressions and gestures, as
If you know someone with hearing problems, there are some things you can do to make
their life easier. NIA has tips to help make the person more comfortable and included:
• In a group, include people with hearing loss in the conversation.
• Find a quiet place to talk to help reduce background noise, especially in restaurants and at social gatherings.
• Stand in good lighting and use facial expressions or gestures to give clues.
• Speak at a reasonable speed.
• Do not hide your mouth, eat or chew gum while speaking.
• Repeat yourself if necessary, using different words.
• Try to make sure only one person talks at a time.
• Be patient. Stay positive and relaxed.
• Ask how you can help.
There are also assistive devices on the market that can compensate for hearing loss. For
example, alert systems such as lights or vibrations work with doorbells, smoke detectors and alarm clocks.
A flashing light may alert you that the doorbell is ringing. Your alarm clock could
have a vibration setting that, if put under your pillow, would awaken you at the appointed
hour. Some people rely on the vibration setting on their cell phones to alert them to calls.
Telephone amplifying devices can make it easier to use the telephone. My grandmother had one that simply hooked into the phone jack and allowed her to hear perfectly.
We’ve all seen the commercials touting devices that allow you to watch TV and listen to the radio without needing to turn up the volume, thus irritating those around you. Some of them actually work well so it is worth investigating.
For information, search hearing loss at www.nia.nih.gov. And call your doctor for an evaluation if you’re having troubling hearing everything you should. Don’t suffer in silence.
Carol Higgins Taylor is an advocate for seniors and owns a public relations firm in Bangor.