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All Posts Tagged: hearing loss

How to help someone with hearing loss understand and participate in conversation?

How to help someone with hearing loss understand and participate in conversation

For many individuals, aging is a mixed bag of everyday annoyances, extreme challenges, and wonderful new experiences. While minor and major problems, such as compromised mobility, a change in sleep cycles, or chronic ailments can diminish quality of life for many older individuals, the opportunities afforded by retirement can offset other problems to make this time in life one of great joy. Spending more time with partners and loved ones, watching grandchildren grow up, the opportunity for deeper immersion in hobbies, and the leisure to travel, read, and slow down and enjoy the little things in life can be an absolute delight. In order to enjoy life as much as possible, it’s imperative for seniors to be able to mitigate the not-so-good aspects of aging in order to focus on the good ones.

One of the most common problems experienced by seniors is hearing loss. In fact, everyone begins to lose at least some of their hearing from a very early age. Even people in their twenties hear less acutely than they did as teens! High pitched noises, in particular, become harder for the human ear to detect relatively early on. Most of the time, this isn’t a problem. But after the age of 75, almost half of Americans will have hearing loss that is significant enough to pose a problem in everyday life.

For someone with hearing loss, it can be difficult to understand speech, and thus to follow the flow of a conversation, particularly in places with lots of background noise. This can be extremely discouraging, and, in some cases, lead to social withdrawal due to the frustration of being unable to participate in everyday interactions. For the caregivers, family and loved ones of people with hearing loss, this can be frustrating also. In order to help someone with hearing loss understand and participate in conversation. reducing background noise can be a great way to help. Background noise is a major obstacle to comprehension for people with hearing loss, especially when it comes to picking out consonants. Any time you want to engage in meaningful conversation, or when you want to make someone with hearing loss feel included in a social event, make sure to choose a quiet setting with a low level of ambient noise.

Edison Home Health Care is happy to advise and assist you or any loved one who seek appropriate care for hearing problems. Give us a call at 888-311-1142, or fill out a contact form and we will respond shortly.

General Home Care New York

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Ways to Deal With Hearing Loss: Speak in Bright Area

shutterstock_13172122For some, aging is a process that allows them to slow down, contemplate the subtleties of life, and enjoy the fruits of a lifetime of hard work. Retirement may bring opportunities for travel, spending time with family and cultivating new hobbies or returning to old ones. For others, aging can bring cause stress and worry, as health problems appear, money becomes tight, and a loss of independence looms. For many people, it’s a combination of the two. There is one thing that is extremely common as all people age, however: hearing loss. Over time, the delicate mechanisms of the inner ear deteriorate, decreasing sensitivity to sound. This process is so universal that up to a third of people experience hearing loss after the age of 65, and almost half will lose some of their hearing after the age of 75.

For people who experience hearing impairment at an early age, there is plenty of time to adapt. Infants, children, and young people with hearing difficulties often become fluent in sign language and adept at lip-reading and the interpretation of body language. For older adults, however, the loss of a sense that has always been a fundamental part of how they experience the world can be devastating. Individuals with hearing loss may struggle to follow conversations, and have difficulty hearing music or listening over the phone. They may become easily increasingly prone to social withdrawal because of the frustration of being unable to understand others. Over time, hearing loss can lead to depression and relationship problems.

For the friends and loved ones of someone with hearing loss, it can be very difficult to witness these changes. Someone who was formerly lively and vivacious can become solitary and withdrawn. In these situations, it can be very helpful to adjust your communication style, so as to help the person with hearing loss understand and feel included in conversation. Try talking in well-lit areas, and make ample use of facial expressions and gestures to convey your meaning. Even someone who has been able to hear for most of their life will still be able to pick up on the non-verbal aspects of language, and may even develop the ability to lip-read if given the opportunity.

Edison Home Health Care is happy to advise and assist you or any loved one who seek appropriate care for hearing problems. Give us a call at 888-311-1142, or fill out a contact form and we will respond shortly.

General Home Care New York

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Ways to Deal With Hearing Loss: Talk Loud

shutterstock_134283266Hearing loss is among the most common problems facing older Americans. Almost a third of people over 65 will experience some level of hearing loss; after the age of 75, the number is closer to half. The prevalence of hearing loss makes it no less frustrating for those effected, however. Hearing loss can impact everything from social relationships to the ability to respond to emergencies. There are many factors that can increase the likelihood of hearing loss later in life: long-term exposure to loud noises, certain underlying medical conditions, smoking, and the excessive use of some medications, such as aspirin, can all contribute to hearing problems. However, for many people, hearing loss can be attributed to simple wear-and-tear on the delicate mechanisms of the inner ear over time.

Hearing loss is not only frustrating and discouraging to those experiencing it firsthand: it can also have a major impact on friends and loved ones. People with hearing loss often have difficulty following conversations. Consonants may be less distinct, and, especially over the phone or in environments with background noise, words may become hard to distinguish. For these reasons, some people with hearing loss become withdrawn, preferring solitude to the frustration of being unable to communicate with ease. If someone you care about has become distant due to hearing loss, it can cause feelings of sadness, worry, and frustration. However, it’s important not to take it personally—and to recognize that their may be steps you can take to help.

For people with hearing loss, being able to understand speech can diminish feelings of isolation and encourage social participation. When speaking to someone with hearing loss, it’s important to remember to speak loudly and slowly. Increasing the volume of your speech can make it sound clearer and less muffled; speaking slowly increases the likelihood that the person you’re talking to will be able to understand each word. Although it can be discouraging to deal with someone’s hearing loss, don’t give up! Adjusting the way you speak, along with patience and perseverance, can help to restore communication and improve your relationship.

Edison Home Health Care is happy to advise and assist you or any loved one who seek appropriate care for hearing problems. Give us a call at 888-311-1142, or fill out a contact form and we will respond shortly.

General Home Care New York

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Hearing Loss Prevention

shutterstock_168526799Presbycusis, or age-related hearing loss, is a very common condition that affects up to a third of people over 65, and up to half of people over the age of 75. It affects both ears equally, gets worse gradually over time, and affects high frequencies more than low frequencies. Hearing loss can be incredibly frustrating, as it makes conversation more difficult and poses an impediment to certain activities of daily living, such as socializing, talking on the phone, listening to music, or watching television.

Age-related hearing loss is the result of a variety of degenerative processes in the body. Cells and tissue structures in the inner ear become weakened, atrophied, less numerous, or stiffened with age; as a result, sensitivity to sound is decreased, making it more difficult to understand speech, hear music, or detect other sounds. For people with age-related hearing loss, high-frequency sounds, as well as the sounds of consonants in speech, are usually the most difficult to hear.

Although a certain amount of wear-and-tear on the structures of the inner ear is an inevitable part of the aging process, there are certain things that can exacerbate the condition. In order to help prevent or ameliorate age-related hearing loss, there are a number of steps that can be taken. Avoiding frequent exposure to loud noises is a good place to start, as noise-related hearing loss, although technically a separate condition from presbycusis, is a very common reason for hearing loss. Certain lifestyle factors, like smoking and eating a diet high in saturated fats, have also been shown to increase the incidence of hearing loss. Medical conditions such as hypertension and diabetes can also exacerbate the risk. Certain medications, like aspirin, can also contribute to age-related hearing loss. Eating a healthy diet, not smoking, making sure underlying medical conditions are well controlled, avoiding excessive use of certain medications, and limiting exposure to loud noises are all good steps in preventing or slowing age-related hearing loss.

Edison Home Health Care is happy to advise and assist you or any loved one who seek appropriate care for hearing problems. Give us a call at 888-311-1142, or fill out a contact form and we will respond shortly.

General Home Care New York

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Treatments for Hearing Loss

shutterstock_130449017Many Americans, particularly older adults, struggle with hearing loss. It is an extremely common problem in people over 65, and is often the result of a combination of factors. Simple wear-and-tear on the delicate mechanisms of the inner ear over time, in addition to sustained exposure to loud noises, certain medications, and some illnesses, can all contribute to hearing loss.

Hearing loss can be extremely frustrating, as it involves the gradual loss of a sense on which most people have depended throughout their lives. People with hearing loss often find it difficult to follow conversations, and may have to ask others to repeat themselves many times. To people with hearing loss, it may seem as though other people are not speaking clearly. It is frequently difficult for people experiencing hearing loss to hear in environments with lots of ambient noise, such as restaurants and other public places. For these reasons, many people with hearing loss have a tendency to become socially isolated, as trying to interact with others becomes too exasperating. Being unable to hear smoke alarms, verbal warnings, and the sounds of motor vehicles or other potential threats can pose additional risks.

Because of the potential hazards faced by those with hearing loss, as well as its general impact on quality of life, it’s important for people experiencing hearing loss to seek help right away. Hearing aids are a common, and often effective, treatment for hearing loss. A hearing aid is a small device that is placed in the ear and amplifies sound. For people with more profound hearing loss, a tiny electronic device called a cochlear implant is often helpful. This device is implanted in the inner ear by a surgeon, allowing the patient to regain some hearing. Other interventions include assistive listening devices that amplify sounds from the telephone, as well as smart phone and tablet apps, and hearing-loop systems in theaters and other public venues. Finally, the low-tech option of lip-reading is extremely effective for some people who suffer from hearing loss. Special training from a lip-reading coach or teacher can enable people with hearing loss to understand speech and participate in conversations with more comfort and ease.

Edison Home Health Care is happy to advise and assist you or any loved one who seek appropriate care for hearing problems. Give us a call at 888-311-1142, or fill out a contact form and we will respond shortly.

General Home Care New York

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