The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

Baby boomers need to monitor their use of iPods, other ear devices to protect hearing

With the increasing popularity of MP3 players, teens and even younger children face a newly discovered risk of noise-induced hearing loss.

Doctors in Miami and around the country say they’re seeing younger and younger patients with hearing loss symptoms that typically don't occur before middle age, according to the article “iPod Ear: Plugged-in Teens May Be Damaging Their Hearing” in the Miami Herald. Many of the doctors blame the constant use of iPods and other players that blast music directly into the ears.
 
Dr. Robert Fifer, director of Audiology and Speech Pathology at the University of Miami's Mailman Center for Child Development, is quoted in the article saying that doctors are seeing the same kind of hearing loss they used to see in older people who worked in factories for years.

The findings have implications for baby boomers who are big users of iPods. Since boomers are older and may have already exerienced some hearing loss, care is needed to prevent further damage.

Boomer parents and grandparents also may want to monitor the use of ear listening devices in children and teens in their families.

iPods can reach about 120 decibels when they’re at peak volume. That’s the noise level between a jackhammer and a jet engine. A safe level, hearing experts recommend, is 85 decibels, which is the sound of city traffic. The range of an MP3 player is about 60 to 110 decibels. However, many people go beyond the recommended limits. For example, they tend to turn up the volume when they're on the street or in crowded places.

Hearing specialist interviewed for the article recommend:

• Keeping the volume turned down, with the volume level set at half.

• Limiting listening time to give your ears a rest.

If you're beginning to experience hearing loss, check the Web site of the American Academy of Audiology for information on how to find an audiologist near you. Symptoms to watch for are having problems hearing over the telephone, in restaurants, and when two people are talking. Ringing in your ears, turning the television way up so you can hear it, and missing comments by family members and co-workers are other problems that could indicate a hearing loss.

For more information on hearing loss, see:

“Hearing Loss” – AARP

“How to Recognize Hearing Loss in Adults” – Deafness Research Foundation

“Hearing Loss: How to Get Help” – Hearing Loss Association of America

Copyright 2008, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Find qualified provider for testing, fitting before you buy hearing aid

Huh?

What did you say?

What was that?
   
If these words are creeping into your conversations more frequently, you may need hearing aids.
   
Scared at the thought?
   
Millions of boomers are. They have hearing problems, but don’t do anything about it.
   
Begin by seeing a medical doctor. He or she can tell you if your hearing loss could be caused by a medical problem such as earwax, fluid behind the eardrum, or an infection.
   
About 5 percent of hearing problems can be treated medically or surgically, Danette Wagner Jackson, audiologist for Integrity Hearing Services, told me in an interview.

Next, choose a qualified, experienced hearing aid dispenser or audiologist. Find out what the licensing requirements are in your state. Make sure the hearing aid dispenser or audiologist meets state requirements.
 
You can also ask family or friends for recommendations and check with your local Better Business Bureau.

The American Academy of Audiology offers lists of audiologists in cities throughout the United States.

Before you have a hearing test, find out what type is offered, what it will cost, and how it will be conducted. You don’t want a quick test in a noisy room for this important evaluation.

Make sure test results are explained to you, says Wagner Jackson. “It’s very important. A lot of decision are based on what the hearing loss is.”

Find out if you can take the test results with you. That way, you can compare hearing aid prices and buy from a firm that charges less.

Hearing aids cost $1,000 to $4,000. Some firms may charge two times or more than others.

Many states recommend or require that consumers get at least a 30-day trial period to determine if the hearing aids will work for them. The dispenser or audiologist usually charges a service fee of 5 to 20 percent of the purchase price if the hearing aid is returned during that time.

You should work closely with the dispenser or audiologist during the trial period to get the hearing aids adjusted properly. It takes time to get use to hearing aids. Even when they are properly adjusted there may be initial discomfort in sound levels.

“People don’t really know what to expect,” Wagner Jackson said. They feel something in the ears, and their voice sounds different to them. And the biggest, most difficult change is all the sounds in the environment, she said. “The brain needs to be retrained.”

Digital hearing aids can be programmed with a computer to make adjustments to fit individual needs.

“Little things going wrong can be fixed,” Wagner Jackson said. Pointers are given on how the hearing aids can work better, and tips are offered on listening techniques.

Discuss options with your dispenser or audiologist on what’s best for your hearing loss. Don’t just get the smallest hearing aids or what your friend has.

“It’s not like going to the grocery store and buying lemons,” she said.

Wagner Jackson says people shouldn’t be scared about wearing hearing aids. “Hearing loss is more noticeable than hearing aids.”

For details on how to buy a hearing aid see:

"Sound Advice on Hearing Aids" – Federal Trade Commission

"Selecting Hearing Aids" – The American Academy of Audiology

Copyright, 2008 Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Hearing loss a serious health issue for boomers

May is Better Hearing and Speech Month.

The annual event is designed to raise awareness and promote treatment of communications disorders. These disorders include hearing loss, Tinnitus (ringing in the ears), difficulty with swallowing or balance, stuttering, delayed language, or voice problems.

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association sponsors Better Hearing and Speech Month.

Although many boomers have serious hearing problems, they're reluctant to take action.

Half of the U.S.'s 76 million boomers are experiencing some degree of hearing loss, a study by The EAR Foundation and Clarity® shows.

The survey reports that hearing loss is significantly impacting boomers' lives at work, at home, and while traveling. More men (62 percent) are being affected than women (38 percent).

Some of the key findings from the report:

• Almost one-fourth (23 percent) of those surveyed said their hearing loss is impacting their success in the workplace, while 25 percent said hearing loss is affecting their earning potential. Areas of work most impacted are hearing and understanding phone calls and conversations with co-workers.

• Forty percent of people who reported having a hearing loss said that it has affected their home life in many ways, including having conversations with loved ones. Sixty-five percent said they have trouble hearing television. Watching TV with others and social gatherings are the areas that boomers with hearing loss avoid most.

• More than half (57 percent) of those with a hearing loss said they often have difficulty hearing on a cell phone.

See the Clarity Web site to obtain information on the study, which has 2004 and 2006 phases.

Clarity®, a Division of Plantronics Inc., is a supplier of amplified telephones, notification systems, assistive listening devices, and other communications devices for the hard of hearing and deaf.

The Ear Foundation, founded in 1971, is an organization that educates the public and the medical profession about hearing loss and ear diseases. It sponsors research into hearing and balance disorders. EAR stands for education and auditory research.

My next post on The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide will discuss the need to "Find Qualified Provider for Testing, Fitting Before You Buy a Hearing Aid."

Copyright 2008, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist