For those of us in the hearing industry the words in the title of this piece is something we hear all the time. Most people have no problem going to the ophthalmologist to get a new eyeglass prescription, or to get an annual physical from their primary care doctor. However, it is very difficult to motivate people to get their hearing checked. There are some very understandable reasons for this, such as:
- They really do not believe their hearing is compromised, largely because their brain will work overtime to help compensate for some degree of hearing loss. While this can be effective for people with mild to moderate hearing loss, it does come with some problems. Specifically, when the brain has to work overtime to help patients hear better, for many people the impact is that they get fatigued at the end of the day.
- There is a stigma associate with hearing aids among a large percentage of the population. The thought of possibly needing to get hearing aids is such a scary thought to many people because they feel it is a sign that that are getting older, and having hearing aids in their ears sends a message to others that they are “old”.
- Most people understand that hearing aids are very expensive, and they do not want to incur the costs necessary to correct hearing problems. For most people the purchase of hearing devices is the second or third most expensive investment they will ever make, and further, this expense probably will have to be incurred again every 3-5 years.
- Primary care physicians do not address hearing as part of their regular patient care. Specifically, only about 20% of primary care doctors address hearing with their patients. This is because they can not earn money from identifying hearing difficulties, and also because they do not have training in hearing health, and do not feel comfortable addressing this topic with patients.
What are the signs that people should look for that might give them a reason to get their hearing checked? There are many, but the most common are:
- The need to play the television at much higher levels than would be comfortable for other people in the room
- The tendency to ask people to repeat what they just said, by frequently using the work “WHAT”
- Difficulty participating in group discussions in crowded or noisy situations such as in restaurants or at parties. It is very for people to withdraw from discussions in these situations since they cannot follow what is being said, and they are afraid to enter the conversation with an inappropriate comment.
The challenge for spouses, significant others and other family members to help the potentially needy person recognize that a hearing would be beneficial is very significant. Most people do not want to bring up this type of health issue, as they feel it will likely generate an angry response form the person concerned. However, there are some very strong reasons why it is absolutely essential to do whatever is possible to motivate an individual to get a hearing test. Specifically:
- It is important to understand that untreated hearing loss is associated with a significantly increased incidence patients getting Alzheimer’s or dementia.
- People with an untreated hearing loss have 47% more hospital visits than do their peers who have normal hearing or have corrected their loss
- People with untreated hearing loss also have a much stronger tendency to suffer from depression than their peers with normal hearing or with corrected devices. This is because people with hearing loss are often unable to participate in group conversations, so they will tend to withdraw from any “opportunities” to participate rather than risk making themselves look sill with an inappropriate comment.
Importantly, there is a very easy was to transition a person so they would be willing to get a hearing test with an audiologist. Rather than try and convince a person to make an appointment with an audiologist to test their hearing, which is likely to be a losing battle in many cases, a completely no risk option is to tell the person concerned to take an online hearing test on the Fifth Avenue Hearing Website (https://www.fifthavenuehearing.com/). This is an option that can be accessed on the website and conducted in the privacy of their home. While the online test is not nearly as comprehensive as a visit to an audiologist, it will give the individual a preliminary reading as to whether they might have a hearing loss. In the event the test indicates a hearing loss is indicated from the online test, it will be much easier to convince the individual to make an appointment with an audiologist to get a comprehensive hearing test. Further, almost all insurance companies will cover the cost of an annual hearing test 100%, so there is not cost to the patient to get this exam.
SUMMARY – Research studies over the past several years have shown that only 20% of the people who would benefit from wearing hearing aids actually have the devices. Further, as people get older, the incidence of needing hearing aids increases significantly, so that more than half of adults over 75 have hearing loss that would be significantly helped with hearing aids. There is also evidence that the sooner one corrects hearing loss with devices, the better off they will be relative to both further declines in their hearing, and also their overall physical health. To patients in the New York City area, they can call Fifth Avenue Hearing (212 301-7779) and arrange for their hearing test within the next couple of days. This might be the most important call they make this year.
