subject: When You Are Experiencing Hearing Loss Problems [print this page] Hearing loss affects more than 31.5 million Americans and two thirds of them are older than 55 and less than half ever seek treatment. You should be aware when it comes to hearing loss as you grow older because impaired hearing can have a negative impact on your quality of life.
When it comes to older people who have hearing impairments, these cause them to withdraw, become depressed, and may even die before their time.
For most people, they fail to see the extent of a hearing loss problem which develops over the years until family or friends bring it to their attention. You can use this simple test to help your mom see where she stands.
Does she experience trouble hearing over the telephone? Is she someone who tends to ask others to repeat themselves? Is she experiencing difficulties when it comes to understanding people in groups or in noisy situations? Does it often happen to her having trouble knowing where sounds are coming from? Are there any difficulties for her in understanding when someone talks to her from another room? Are family meetings or social situations things that she avoids because she cannot understand?
In this case, she has a hearing problem if she answered yes to three or more of these questions. Besides getting a hearing evaluation from an audiologist, she should also see an otolaryngologist, a doctor who specializes in ear, nose and throat disorders.
In such a situation, she might need to use hearing aids too. There have been dramatic improvements when it comes to hearing aids because of advances in design and technology. If she wants to find the best kind for her, she should work with an audiologist.
She can also resort to using the assistive devices. These are products that can help with less than perfect hearing. Here, you will be dealing with telephone amplifying devices, TV and radio listening systems, assistive listening devices, and alert products like flashing light doorbells and smoke detectors.
There are times when the loss of hearing is severe and if so cochlear implant surgery can be done.
Made available is a great program especially for the millions of Americans who need hearing aids but can't afford them. With regard to this, it is a new non-profit service and they work by helping people purchase new hearing aids at greatly discounted prices.
What will make you eligible in this case is having a level of income that is no higher than 2 1/2 times the national poverty level.
No asset test is necessary in this case and financing plans are available. Supposed you are eligible, you will receive an examination by a hearing health professional and you will also be fitted with new, digital behind the ear hearing aids.
When it comes to this, discounts range between 30 percent and 75 percent and they will provide you with routine follow up visits as well.
You will find a telecommunications equipment distribution program available in many states and they provide free telephone equipment to people with hearing problems. You can check with your local phone company and visit their web site for information.
