By Dr. Noël Crosby, Au.D.
Let’s imagine you’re playing golf, pickleball or doing any physical activity that you love, and you injure yourself. What do you do right away? You go see a specialist to diagnose the problem so you can quickly get on the mend. What would you do if one day you noticed a drastic change in your eyesight and it affected your ability to drive, watch TV, or cook your favorite meal? Most likely you’d go see an eye specialist as soon as possible. I think we’d all agree that our health and wellness is the foundation for everything and taking care of ourselves allows us to maintain a quality of life we deserve.
Now, let’s try these scenarios. What if you started misunderstanding what people say? What would you do if you couldn’t enjoy conversations with family and friends? What if fun activities like pickleball and golf stopped being fun because your hearing affected conversation? Sadly, people wait 4-7 years before doing anything about their hearing when they notice hearing issues. They try to cope for as long as possible and delay even visiting an audiologist to understand what’s happening.
Here’s an interesting fact: hearing loss is the third most common health issue faced by older adults and only 1 in 4 people with hearing challenges do anything about it. People just don’t treat their hearing health with the same sense of urgency as they do other health issues.
So why is this the case? While there can be several reasons, the research and my experience show that the main reason people delay addressing their hearing challenges is the stigma associated with hearing loss and the self-perception people have about hearing devices. The role of a hearing professional, such as a Doctor of Audiology, is to not just test for and treat hearing loss, but it is also to educate people and guide them towards a solution.
Every day I find myself educating people about hearing difficulty and the effects it has on one’s overall health – from our psychological and physical well-being to interpersonal relationships. In addition I inform people as to the many options available to help someone hear better. This is such an incredible time to consider improving your hearing! There are virtually invisible hearing devices, OTC options, Bluetooth connectivity, and more.
The Internet is a familiar stop for most people when researching hearing care choices, but there are an overwhelming number of options as you explore. I’ve seen too many people become “stuck” looking at the Internet and become paralyzed to the point of inaction. I pride myself on staying up-to-date with the different choices and I can be a valuable resource to help you cut through the clutter.
My suggestion is this – first make sure you have a comprehensive hearing evaluation because the degree and type of hearing issue will narrow down your options greatly. Afterwards, together we can discuss the options that fit your hearing needs, your budget, your lifestyle, and what you’ll be comfortable using to improve your hearing.
Lastly, please don’t wait. Take care of your hearing health as you would any other health issue you might face. You deserve to live the best quality of life possible and it starts with a simple phone call and visit.
Advanced Hearing Solutions has partnered with Eargo, Eargo devices are virtually invisible, rechargeable completely-in-the-canal (CIC) hearing aids.
We will be holding a special event in our office the week of February 24th. We will have
Eargo representatives available and in our office certain dates, times that week!!
Call for more information.
Call Advanced Hearing Solutions today at (941) 474-8393.