Hearing Loss in Men
The Place for Better Hearing promotes National Men’s Health Week
“Men are often reluctant to address hearing loss,” DeWine said. “But what many don’t realize is that hearing loss is associated with several chronic diseases and affects virtually every aspect of a man’s life—from relationships and intimacy to job performance and earnings. Unfortunately, most doctors don’t ask their patients if they have any hearing problems. So it’s important that we call attention to men’s hearing health today.” “There are simple things men can do to protect their hearing,” said audiologist Stefanie Godbey. “Listening to their MP3 players at no more than 50 percent maximum volume and wearing earplugs while at rock concerts, using power tools, and riding motorcycles are just a few examples.”
“Research shows that people with heart disease, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and/or Alzheimer’s disease may have an increased risk of hearing loss,” DeWine said. “Research also links hearing loss to a three-fold risk of falling among working-aged people (40 to 69), depression and anxiety, cognitive decline, and reduced earnings,” she said. Sixty percent of the 34 million people with hearing loss in the United States are male. And hearing loss remains one of the most commonly unaddressed health conditions in America today. In fact, more than 15 million men in the United States suffer from unaddressed hearing loss. In a 2010 study, BHI found that people with untreated hearing loss lose as much as $30,000 in income annually, depending on their degree of hearing loss.
The use of hearing aids, however, was shown to dramatically reduce the risk of income loss and unemployment. “It’s critical that men pay attention to their health—and not just for their own benefit, but because their well being has a significant impact on the lives of others,” says Sergei Kochkin, PhD, Executive Director of BHI. “We urge men of all ages to pay attention to their hearing health and address hearing loss—including the fitting of hearing aids if needed—to reduce the toll that unaddressed hearing loss can take on their lives. We hope that our participation in Men’s Health Week will help raise awareness of the importance of hearing health.” More About Hearing Loss and Hearing Aids Numerous studies have linked untreated hearing loss to a wide range of physical and emotional conditions, including impaired memory and ability to learn new tasks, reduced alertness, increased risk of personal safety, irritability, negativism, anger, fatigue, tension, stress, depression, and diminished psychological and overall health. Dr. DeWine explained, “Three out of four hearing aid users report improvements in their quality of life due to wearing hearing aids. And studies show that when people with even mild hearing loss use hearing aids, they improve their job performance, increase their earning potential, enhance their communication skills, improve their professional and interpersonal relationships, and stave off depression.”
“Advances in digital technology have dramatically improved hearing aids in recent years, making them smaller with better sound quality. Designs are modern, sleek, and discreet. Clarity, greater directionality, better speech audibility in a variety of environments, better cell phone compatibility, less whistling and feedback than hearing aids of the past, and greater ruggedness for active lifestyles are common features”, explained audiologist, Stefanie Godbey. More information about hearing aids and hearing loss is available at the Place for Better Hearing and at their website: www.HearingBetter.net. To schedule a FREE hearing screening, call 922-0123 for an appointment. Men’s Health Week is celebrated each year as the week leading up to and including Father’s Day. Its purpose is to heighten awareness of preventable health problems and encourage early detection and treatment of disease among men and boys. Men’s Health Week gives healthcare providers, public policy makers, the media, and individuals an opportunity to encourage men and boys to seek regular medical advice and early treatment for disease and injury.
