About Hearing Lossin Springdale, Arkansas
The Prevalence of Hearing Loss
About 20% of Americans, or about 48 million people, report some degree of hearing loss. At age 65, one out of three people has some hearing loss. For a variety of reason, people with hearing loss are often embarrassed – but it is a common ailment that often has a simple solution. So if you have a hearing loss, understand that you are not alone and you don't have to just "live with it."
The Affects of Hearing Loss
Many people are aware of the extent that their hearing has deteriorated, and are reluctant to seek help. Unfortunately, too many people wait years, even decades, before getting treatment. You may be suffering from hearing loss and the symptoms associated with untreated hearing loss.
Studies have linked untreated hearing loss to:
- Irritability, negativity and anger
- Fatigue, tension, stress and depression
- Avoidance or withdrawal from social situations
- Social rejection and loneliness
- Reduced alertness, increased risk to personal safety
- Impaired memory and ability to learn new tasks
- Reduced job performance and earning power
- Diminished psychological and overall health
Common Myth – "Hearing loss affects only 'old people' and is merely a sign of aging."
Actually it is the reverse of what most people think. The majority (65%) of people with hearing loss are younger than age 65.There are more than six million people in the U.S. between the ages of 18 and 44 with hearing loss, and nearly 1.5 million people with hearing loss are school age. Hearing loss affects all age groups.
The Impact of Treated Hearing Loss on Quality of Life
People with hearing loss delay a decision to get hearing help because they are unaware of the fact that receiving early treatment for hearing loss has the potential to literally transform their lives. Research by the National Council on the Aging on more than 2,000 people with hearing loss as well as their significant others demonstrated that hearing aids are clearly associated with impressive improvements in the social, emotional, psychological, and physical well-being of people with hearing loss. Specifically,hearing aid usage is positively related to the following quality of life issues.
Benefits of Hearing Aids
Hearing loss treatment was shown to improve:
- Earning power
- Communication in relationships
- Intimacy and warmth in family relationships
- Ease in communication
- Emotional stability and physical health
- Sense of control over life events
- Group social participation
Hearing loss treatment was shown to reduce:
- Discrimination toward the person with the hearing loss
- Anger and frustration in relationships
- Depression and depressive symptoms
- Feelings of paranoia and anxiety
- Social phobias and self-criticism
A Hearing Test screening and consultation is especially important if you…
- Think people mumble more frequently?
- Ask people to repeat themselves?
- Are told you play the TV too loudly?
- Hear but don’t understand speech clearly?
