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Anyone
Can Have Hearing Loss
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| Hearing loss is a problem shared by many people. In
fact, it is one of the most common health conditions, particularly
as people age. Most people over age 65 have some hearing loss, and
by age 80, almost everyone does. For millions of people, a hearing
aid is the answer to their hearing problems. The hearing aid lets
them regain much of their lost hearing, helps them communicate
better with other people, and allows them to stay active in family
and community life. You may find that a hearing aid can help you,
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Signs of Hearing Loss
Because hearing loss usually occurs slowly over the years,
you may not realize your hearing ability has gotten worse. It's a
good idea to have your hearing checked if you:
- Have
to strain to hear normal conversation
- Have
to watch other people's faces very carefully to follow what
they're saying
- Need
to ask people to repeat what they've said
- Often
misunderstand what people are saying
- Turn
the volume of the television or radio up so high that others
complain
- Feel
that people are
mumbling when they're talking to you
- Are having ear infections, dizziness, or a
ringing in your ears
- Find that the effort to hear leaves you feeling
tired and irritated
- Notice, when using the phone, that you hear
better with one ear than the other
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Reasons for Hearing Loss
Hearing loss has many different causes. Often these are
conditions that may be beyond
your control. You may have suffered your loss as a result
of one or more of the following:
- Physical
changes within the ear caused by aging
- An
injury or infection that damaged part of the ear
- Exposure
to loud noise
- An
inherited condition
- Exposure
to toxic medicines
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How a Hearing Aid Can Help You
Many people have found that a properly selected and fitted
hearing aid helps them regain much of their hearing. Hearing
professionals caution that although a hearing aid can help you
overcome your hearing loss, it does not restore the normal hearing
you may remember. As useful as hearing aids may be, they also have
limitations.
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A hearing aid can :
- Allow you to hear and understand
speech better in most situations
- Help
you hear in certain situations that are difficult or dangerous
for you
- Help
you hear the high-pitched sounds of speech, including
the consonants
- Increase
your ability to participate more fully in group situations and
meetings
- Make
life more pleasant for you and those around you, even if it
only partially restores your hearing
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A hearing aid may not :
- Restore
normal hearing or the ability to hear a complete range of
sound
- Allow
you to hear speech clearly when there is a lot of background
noise (for example, in a crowd or at a party)
- Let
you hear only what you want to hear (all sound is amplified,
not just what you want)
- Make
distorted sound clear and distinct
- Enable
you to hear extremely soft sounds
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This
information is not intended as a substitute for professional health
care. (c)1995, 1998 The StayWell Company, 1100 Grundy Lane, San Bruno, CA
94066-3030. (800) 333-3032. All rights reserved. Lithographed in Canada.
Krames Communications. Consultants: Philip Bartlett, MD
Lawrence M. Eng, MS, CCC-A Contributions By Robert Harris, MD
Alison Grimes, MA CCC-A |
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