Discussion Group for Better Hearing
Who We Are:
We are SaddleBrooke residents who recognize the need in our community for a caring place of support and education for those experiencing hearing loss and those beginning to research this topic for themselves or a loved one.
What We Do:
(1) Discuss issues we face, learn tips and solutions, receive handout educational materials, and offer guidance and encouragement. Occasionally, an audiology doctoral student from the University of Arizona will be a guest, also hearing technology reps.
(2) Submit articles for the SaddleBrooke newspapers covering hearing loss topics and personal testimonials from members of our community about their hearing loss journey.
(3) Sponsor periodic “Hearing Night Out” community-wide presentations by local audiologists.
(4) Advocate for better technical support in SaddleBrooke facilities for those living with hearing loss.
Meetings:
Meetings are held the second Friday monthly at 10 a.m. in the Sonoran Room at the MountainView clubhouse.
Questions:
Jennifer Jefferis at [email protected] or Lyle Larson at [email protected]
Did You Know?
• Only one in five people who would benefit from a hearing aid actually uses one.
• Hearing loss has been shown to negatively impact nearly every dimension of the human experience, including physical health, emotional and mental health, perceptions of mental acuity, social skills, family relationships, and self-esteem.
• New findings linking cognitive decline to even minimal hearing loss suggest that we could do a lot to protect our brains if we protect our hearing.
• Hearing loss is now known to be the largest modifiable risk factor for developing dementia, exceeding that of smoking, high blood pressure, lack of exercise, and social isolation.
Taken from The New York Times article “For Better Brain Health, Preserve Your Hearing” and The Hearing Loss Association of America.
I Can Hear But Don’t Understand
Tim Gaule
I am a member of the SaddleBrooke Hearing Discussion Group. Our group meets at 10 a.m. on the second Friday of every month in the Sonoran Room at the MountainView clubhouse. In this month’s article I would like to discuss why you can hear people talking but may not be able to understand them.
One of the most common hearing loss types is high-frequency hearing loss. This kind of hearing loss can be caused by aging, noise damage, or certain disease processes such as Ménière’s disease, which I have. Being able to hear but not understand is a common sign of mild hearing loss. Being able to hear high-frequency sounds is very important for understanding human speech. When you can’t, it will seem like everyone, including those dear to you, is mumbling or talking too quietly. The voices of female speakers, as well as children, tend to be more high-pitched, so you might find these individuals harder to understand than you do male speakers. Similarly, you might find people with strong accents harder to hear, as well as having difficulties understanding speech in background noise. I know that prior to getting my latest hearing devices, it was very difficult for me to understand our landscapers.
While you might think the problem isn’t disruptive enough to warrant a visit to an audiologist, it’s a common early sign of high-frequency hearing loss. This type of hearing loss makes it harder to hear higher-pitched sounds. In speech, the vowel sounds (A, E, I, O, and U) are low in pitch, but consonant sounds like S, F, Th, Sh, V, K, P, and others are high in pitch. Being able to hear vowel sounds is helpful, but it’s the consonant sounds that help you distinguish one word from another. Vowel sounds help alert you that speech is present. But it’s the consonant sounds that give speech meaning by distinguishing one word from another.
Without being able to hear subtle differences between consonants, words like “cat” and “hat,” “parrot” and “ferret,” and “show” and “throw” can be hard to tell apart. You also confuse a statement such as “What time is it?” with “What kind is it?” This difficulty in understanding what is being said makes life less enjoyable and more frustrating.
If after visiting an audiologist your test results indicate that you do have some degree of hearing loss, it may be recommended that you get fitted for hearing aids. Hearing aids amplify high-frequency sounds to the necessary volume, making conversations clearer and easier to follow. If you are fitted with hearing aids, be sure to wear them every day.
If you have questions or would like to discuss this topic further, I invite you to attend one of our monthly meetings. We oftentimes have a student audiologist from the University of Arizona join us at our meetings. You can contact me at [email protected].