Age-related loss doesn’t turn down the volume on all sounds. Instead, it attacks the all-important, high-frequency speech sounds, leaving low-frequency sounds, like noise, intact.
Many people go years without treating their age-related hearing loss because they hear most things well. Yet they are often missing out on critical clarity consonants, like the sound of the letter “S”. Other consonants also start to drop off, including “Ch” “K”, “T”, “Th”, “F”, “Sh”, and others. It’s impossible to shout these sounds at somebody, so to simply “speak up” won’t make you any better understood by someone with age-related hearing loss. Wonder if you have age-related hearing loss? Have a friend or loved-one hold a hand in front of their mouth and try hissing at you, like a snake. “Ssssssssssssssss!” If you can’t hear the sound, chances are you are misunderstanding or missing out on conversation. Especially with women or children, whose higher-frequency voices pose a greater challenge. From an audiological perspective, clarity consonants are the most important speech sounds. These sounds are critical to hearing speech in noise or hearing soft speakers or people speaking from a distance. Clarity consonants guide us to the direction of the speaker and enable us to keep up with those who speak quickly, or with an unfamiliar accent. More than 80% of people with hearing loss have mild-to-moderate age-related hearing loss. Because mild-to-moderate age-related hearing loss is rarely debilitating, most people live with the inconvenience, rather than purchasing hearing aids, which typically cost thousands of dollars. UBHearing makes it possible for those experiencing early age-related hearing loss to get into a pair of comfortable, discreet hearing aids for as little as $398.00. With early, age-related hearing loss, the first few hundred dollars spent on technology pack the most bang for your buck. To spend thousands of dollars more for your first pair of hearing aids often doesn't yield a worthwhile return on investment. But how do you know if the time is right to do something about your hearing loss? Below we discuss the reasons why it’s best to tackle age-related hearing loss in a timely manner. Early Adoption is Key At least once a month we meet someone well into their golden years who is interested in being fit with their first pair of hearing aids. Adapting to and learning to use hearing aids becomes considerably more difficult, the older we get, both from a physical and sound acclimatization standpoint. Those who invest in hearing aids at the first sign of hearing loss fare much better over their senior years than those who purchase late. Fingers and eyes learn the simple tricks to make inserting hearing aids easier, as well as how to clean and change small parts. UBHearing Lower Prices Make Early Adoption Possible Common, high-frequency, age-related hearing loss is effectively treated with lower-cost hearing aids. Expensive hearing aid features are not required and typically produce little if any noticeable benefit at this stage of your hearing loss. With our starting price of $199/aid when you purchase a pair, and an average price of $575/aid UBHearing makes quality hearing care truly affordable for all, at the lowest prices in Canada! The Risks of Waiting Age-related, high-frequency hearing loss makes processing speech in challenging environments difficult and, for some, nearly impossible. Many people with this type of hearing loss actively avoid social situations. This is the first step toward isolation, which can have negative impacts on family relationships, mood and mental health, as well as cognition. Hearing is like many things – Use it or lose it! When we avoid challenging social environments, we can lose the ability to effectively process speech and filter out distractions, making hearing aid adoption much more difficult down the road. Studies have even shown correlations between untreated hearing loss and dementia. Fundamental Social Skills Depend on Hearing Well When someone doesn’t respond when spoken to, the need for hearing aids may not be the only problem. When someone can’t hear properly, they lose the ability to listen, understand, focus and respond. Better hearing is the gateway to better communication and comprehension. To delay the pursuit of hearing well, leaves our ability to communicate and comprehend in a state of neglect. Years of neglect leave many people unable to tolerate the very sounds they need to hear their best. This means that buying your first pair of hearing aids at 95 years old may prove disappointing. You may find yourself unable to tolerate the volume you need, still having to ask people to repeat themselves, no longer comprehending speech as well as you once did. Addressing hearing loss in a timely and effective fashion, with quality products and best practice professional services, can help keep the brain operating at its full potential, both now and in the future. Tinnitus Relief Mild high frequency tonal tinnitus (ringing in the ears) is usually a sign of high-frequency, age related hearing loss. Although there is no cure for this type of tinnitus, properly programmed hearing aids often alleviate the symptoms for most people. No expensive features required. In fact, some studies suggest that properly fitted basic-level hearing aids can offer better "distraction" from tinnitus than more expensive hearing aids. Speech-in-Noise When you’re in a noisy setting, that very noise can mask, or steal away your ability to hear speech. In a noisy setting, you can hear the noise very well – but you lose the ability to pick out what people are saying, due to the noise “masking” or stealing away clarity and crispness. Sounds become muddy. Much like having blurred vision, it is very difficult to understand speech in noise with age-related hearing loss. A simple boost in clarity can put you back in the conversation, even in a noisy environment. Typical Age-Related Loss = Most Comfortable Hearing Aids Some folks with complicated hearing loss requiring a lot of power end up having to make trade-offs between comfort and effectiveness. But the good news is that, for typical, age-related hearing loss, hearing aids can be fitted comfortably without feeling your ears are plugged. These hearing aids allow unamplified, low-frequency sound to continue to enter and exit your ears just like it does naturally. High frequency clarity, amplified by the hearing aids, remains in the ear, due to its smaller waveform, effectively compensating for the hearing loss in a comfortable manner. Relationship Bliss and Better Hearing The best thing you can do for your loved ones is to be able to hear them, listen to them, and make the effort to understand them. However, when you can't hear well, listening and understanding can be very difficult, if not impossible. With appropriate hearing aids, the choice to listen, understand, and respond to your loved ones is back in your hands. There’s a lot to lose by not addressing your hearing loss in a timely manner. Fortunately, there is a lot to gain by calling UBHearing - low prices, quality products, and professional in-person services. There’s really no reason to put it off. Call us now to book your FREE hearing test to begin the journey to better hearing. Comments are closed.
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