Hearing

Hearing loss can be due to many factors including age, infection, and damage to the inner ear nerve damage. Symptoms can vary depending on the type and degree of hearing loss. Hearing loss can be detrimental to enjoyment of everyday activities, and can be improved with new therapy and technology. Our hearing specialist Serena Wilkie is experienced with the latest technologies to combat hearing loss. Contact us today to improve your quality of life!

Becker Hearing Center
(360) 825-4027 or Email: swilkie@ent-allergywa.com

Hearing Aids

When hearing loss makes it difficult for you to have conversations, consider using one or two hearing aids. The Hearing Center at the Dr. Nancy Becker clinic provides the latest listening devices for women and men. Call the Enumclaw or Bonney Lake, Washington, office today for a personalized consultation about Bluetooth® hearing aids.

Consequences of untreated hearing loss

Those who have difficulty hearing can experience distorted and incomplete communication that seriously impacts their professional and personal lives putting an individual at risk for isolation and withdrawal. Studies have linked untreated hearing loss effects to:

• Avoidance or withdrawal from social situations
• Reduced alertness and increased risk to personal safety
• Impaired memory and ability to learn new tasks
• Irritability, negativism and anger
• Fatigue, tension, stress and depression
• Social rejection and loneliness
• Reduced job performance and earning power
• Diminished psychological and overall health

Many important studies have been conducted to understand hearing loss and its relation to other serious health issues such as dementia, diabetes, heart disease, depression, and fall rates in older adults. When hearing loss is present at the same time as one of these health concerns, the term comorbidities is often used as it describes the presence of two or more chronic diseases or disorders affecting a person.

Researchers have taken more interest in comorbidities including hearing loss as individuals who live with untreated hearing loss tend to face higher risk for other physical and cognitive issues.

Cognition

In a recent report on dementia prevention and its risk factors, it was suggested that hearing loss and social isolation have a possible connection to dementia in later life.

Although more testing needs to be done to find an affirmative link between hearing loss and dementia,  researchers are more inclined to believe that haring plays and important role in brain health. One study hypothesized that when a hearing loss is present, the brain must use additional resources to process and understand sounds. These resources may be taken away from other cognitive processes, such as memory.

If you think you or a loved one suffers from hearing loss, don’t delay another day. Visit a hearing healthcare professional and take the first step toward a world of better hearing.

-Dementia prevention, intervention and care, 2017, Livingston, Gill et al., The Lancet, Volume 390, Issue 10113, 2673-2734
-Hearing Loss in older adults affects neural systems supporting speech comprehension, J Neurosci. 2011 Aug 31;31(35):12638-43. Doi:10.1523/JNEUROSXI.2559-11.2011.

Signs of hearing loss

Hearing loss may occur gradually over time or may be experienced suddenly. The following symptoms may indicate that you should have your hearing checked by a professional:

• Occasionally thinking others are mumbling or speaking too softly
• Having trouble hearing over the phone
• Inappropriately responding to others after misunderstanding what was said
• Frequently being told that your TV or radio is too loud
• Constant roaring, ringing, or hissing in your ears
• Finding it difficult to hear or understand conversations with more than two people
• Needing others to repeat themselves regularly
• Avoiding crowded places and restaurants because of difficulty hearing

How hearing works

• Sound waves enter the ear canal, moving toward the eardrum.
• Vibrations caused by the sound waves on the eardrum also cause the malleus, Incus, and Stapes bones in the middle ear to vibrate.
• Tiny sensory hair cells within the cochlea capture the vibrations and transform them into electrical signals. Different sounds cause different types of vibration which produce how loud we perceive a sound or the type of tone.
• The auditory nerve carries the electrical signals to the brain where they are understood as sounds.