Hearing Loss For Dummies

Introduction 1 About This Book 2 Foolish Assumptions 2 Icons Used in This Book 3 Beyond the Book 4 Where to Go from Here 4 Part 1: Understanding Hearing Loss 5 Chapter 1: Cheers to Your Ears! 7 Understanding Why Hearing Loss Happens 8 Hearing takes place over two steps 8 Hearing loss happens as the inner ear wears out 8 Factors that affect your hearing over time 9 Putting Hearing Loss in Context 10 Hearing loss happens to everyone 10 How hearing loss impacts our health and well-being 10 The benefits of addressing hearing loss 12 What You Can Do about Hearing Loss 12 Know your hearing 12 Using communication strategies 14 Hearing technologies 15 Getting the Support You Need 17 Chapter 2: Understanding How Hearing Works 19 What Is Sound? 20 How sound gets its sound 20 What sound “looks” like 21 To Hear, You Need Your Ear! 23 External ear 24 Middle ear 24 Inner ear 25 Hearing with Your Brain 26 Two ears are better than one 27 It’s not just sound — “seeing” what you hear 28 Context matters 28 Pinpointing Where the System Can Break Down 29 When sound quality is poor 29 When the sound can’t get in 29 When the inner ear garbles the encoding of sound 30 When the brain struggles to process sound 31 Experiencing Trouble Hearing 31 Chapter 3: Looking at Types of Hearing Loss and Minimizing Risk 33 Discovering Why Hearing Gets Worse Over Time 34 Knowing the Causes of Hearing Loss Over Time 34 Biological aging processes 35 Cardiovascular risk factors 35 Genetics 36 Minimizing Your Risk for Hearing Loss 37 Noise exposure 37 Keeping your ear heart-healthy 40 Considering Other Conditions That Affect Hearing 41 The almighty ear infection 41 Earwax — ick! 43 Diseases of the ear 45 Medications 45 Causing Tinnitus 46 Tinnitus explained 46 Tinnitus triggers 47 Chapter 4: Realizing What You Lose When You Can’t Hear 49 Communicating Is Like a Game of Catch 49 Hearing loss affects how well you can play catch 50 Why playing catch is sometimes easier or harder 50 Communication and hearing loss in critical situations 51 Watching for a Reduction in Social Interaction 53 Monitoring Mental and Emotional Health 53 What is loneliness? 54 How loneliness hurts your health 54 Looking at hearing loss and loneliness 55 Losing Physical Abilities 55 How hearing affects your physical abilities 55 How hearing affects your balance 56 Dealing with a Decline in Cognitive Function 57 What are cognition and dementia? 57 Hearing loss and dementia — say what? 58 Hearing aids to prevent dementia? 59 Part 2: Evaluating How You Hear 61 Chapter 5: Recognizing Hearing Loss 63 Missing the Signs of Hearing Loss 64 Barely noticeable changes 64 Everyone else is mumbling! 64 Compensating until you can’t 64 Don’t know what you’re missing 65 Sussing Out Whether Your Hearing Has Declined 65 Knowing When to Get Your Hearing Tested 66 Screening, testing, and diagnostics 67 Establishing a baseline 67 Getting regular hearing checkups 69 Knowing when you should get tested immediately 69 Shrugging Off the Stigma of Hearing Loss 70 Caring about your hearing above what other people think 71 It’s okay to wear hearing aids 71 The stigma is fading 72 Chapter 6: Seeing a Hearing Loss Professional and Getting Tested 75 Getting to Know the Hearing Care Team 76 Audiologist: Assessing and addressing hearing loss 76 Otolaryngologist: Comprehensive medical care for the ear 77 Hearing instrument specialist: Focusing on the hearing aid 78 The most important team member: You! 78 Preparing for the Assessment 78 It all starts with history 79 To know the ear is to see the ear 80 Knowing What to Expect during the First Part of the Diagnostic Hearing Test 80 Picking up on pure-tones: “Listen for the beeps” 81 Testing your hearing with air and bone conduction 82 Checking Out Other Hearing Assessment Measures 85 Testing whether sound is getting to the middle and inner ears 85 Measuring your speech understanding 86 Evaluating how the brain reacts to sound 88 Testing when sound is clear but difficult to understand 89 One and Done or a Regular Occurrence? 89 Chapter 7: Making Sense of Your Hearing Test Results 91 Understanding the Importance of Reading Results 92 Introducing the Audiogram: What Does That Graph Mean? 92 Audiogram 101 93 Hearing loss categories on the audiogram 94 Defining Hearing Loss with the Audiogram 96 The Xs and Os of hearing 96 Diving into details of your hearing loss 97 Using the audiogram to make sense of how hearing loss affects you 98 The Hearing Number: An Easier Way to Make Sense of Your Hearing 101 Where the hearing number comes from 101 What the hearing number means to you 102 Does my hearing number change? 102 What to do with your hearing number 103 How to get your hearing number 104 Guiding Your Hearing Health Journey with Your Results 105 Monitor changes in hearing 106 Use it or lose it 106 Part 3: Taking Charge of Your Hearing 107 Chapter 8: Fine-Tuning Your Life to Hearing Loss 109 Discovering Where Adjustments Can Be Made 110 Finding No-Tech Communication Strategies for Everyday Situations 110 Get close 110 Be face-to-face 111 Summarize and repeat (“Huhs” don’t help!) 111 Optimizing Your Listening Environment 112 Turn down any background sounds 112 Avoid reverberation 113 Pick the right restaurants 113 Using Everyday Technology Strategies 115 Closed captioning 115 Voice over internet protocol (VOIP) calls and videocalls 116 Speaking Up for Yourself 117 Ways to identify that you’re having trouble hearing 118 Giving the speaker a solution 118 Practicing self-advocacy 119 Reading about others with hearing loss 120 Seeking Out Support Groups 120 Chapter 9: Looking at How Hearing Aids Work 123 Understanding Hearing Aids 123 The anatomy of a hearing aid: How hearing aids work 124 Hearing aids don’t make all sounds louder 125 Enhancing clarity of sound with hearing aids 126 Checking Out the Different Styles of Hearing Aids 128 Behind-the-ear 128 In-the-ear 132 Weighing the pros and cons of hearing aid styles 133 Chapter 10: Understanding Your Hearing Aid Options 135 Discovering Where to Start for Your Needs 136 Knowing Two Ears Means Two Hearing Aids 136 Is using only one hearing aid harmful? 137 The exception to the rule 137 Choosing a Prescription Hearing Aid 138 Working with a professional to purchase hearing aids 138 Customizing your hearing aids with a professional 140 Navigating the Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Pathway 143 The basics of OTC hearing aids 143 Deciding where to buy your OTC hearing aid 146 How to choose from too many options 147 When to seek professional assistance with OTC hearing aids 148 Choosing Basic or Premium Hearing Aids 149 Chapter 11: You’ve Got Hearing Aids: Now What? 151 Setting Expectations Is Key 151 Getting Used to Your Hearing Aids 153 Practice makes perfect 153 Activities to get used to hearing aids 154 Trust the process 156 Adjusting and Manipulating Your Hearing Aids 156 Working with batteries 157 Putting hearing aids in your ears 158 Changing the sound of hearing aids 159 Caring for and Maintaining Your Hearing Aids 160 Establishing a maintenance routine 160 Avoiding situations that are bad for your hearing aids 163 Troubleshooting common problems with hearing aids 164 Knowing When It’s Time to Upgrade Your Hearing Aid to a New Generation 165 Chapter 12: Technology That Boosts Hearing and Hearing Aids 167 Captioning Your Life 168 Using captions on TV 168 Obtaining and using captioned phones (They’re free!) 168 Captioning in video conference calls 169 CART for live sessions 169 Outfitting Your Home with Hearing-Friendly Tech 170 Talking about Integration Technology 171 Working with Bluetooth and hearing aids 171 Navigating smartphone apps 172 Checking Out Hearing Aid Accessories 172 Using a remote control 173 Trying out a remote microphone 173 Connecting to the TV 175 Streaming all your devices 177 The Mighty Telecoil: Getting a Direct Connection to Sound Signals 178 Looping in telecoils in public spaces 178 Telecoils and telephones 180 Telecoil with FM and infrared systems 180 Has Bluetooth replaced telecoils? (No!) 181 Sounding Out Personal Amplifiers 182 Demystifying PSAPs versus hearing aids 182 The reality of using PSAPs 183 Navigating the unregulated amplifier marketplace 183 Will OTC hearing aids replace PSAPs? 184 Chapter 13: Medical and Surgical Treatment of Hearing Loss 185 Looking into Medications That Treat Hearing Loss 186 Using steroids for sudden hearing loss 186 Taking medications for problems with the external or middle ear 187 Checking Out Different Surgeries for Hearing Loss 188 Surgeries for conductive hearing loss 188 Surgery for sensorineural hearing loss 189 Other surgically implantable hearing devices 192 Part 4: Supporting Hearing Needs 195 Chapter 14: Helping Those with Hearing Loss 197 Noting How Hearing Loss Influences Relationships 198 Understanding Hearing Loss from the Other Side 198 Emotions that often accompany hearing loss 199 Realizing hearing aids don’t cure hearing loss 199 Discovering How to Be a Good Communication Partner 200 Move close and speak face-to-face 201 Repeat and reword 201 Speak slowly and clearly 201 Get your partner’s attention before speaking 202 Choose the right environments for conversations 202 Using technologies to help communication 202 Figuring Out Hearing and Communication Needs 203 Noticing non-verbal cues 203 Using the hearing number as a guide 204 Supporting People on Their Hearing Care Journey 204 Chapter 15: Paying for Hearing Care 207 Paying for Hearing Services 207 Hearing testing 208 Medical and surgical evaluation 208 Hearing rehabilitative support services 208 Breaking Down Hearing Aid Costs 210 Weighing out-of-pocket-options 211 Checking on insurance coverage options for hearing aids 212 Looking to the future: Over-the-counter hearing aids 215 Tapping into Veterans Administration benefits 216 Seeking charitable foundations 216 Using health savings and flexible spending accounts 216 Chapter 16: Your Rights as Someone with Hearing Loss 217 Looking into Disability and Hearing Loss 218 How do you define disability? 218 How to follow a social model of disability 218 Understanding the Role of the Americans with Disabilities Act 220 Discouraging disability discrimination in the workplace 220 Accessibility and accommodations in public 220 Focusing on telephones and television 221 Navigating the Social Security Administration Disability Benefits 221 Determining hearing loss for Social Security disability benefits 222 Considering Claims for SSDI 224 Looking at Supplemental Security Income 225 Initiating a claim 225 Advocating to Advance Your Hearing Rights 225 Advocating for change 225 Improving organization policy 226 Part 5: The Part of Tens 227 Chapter 17: Ten (Plus One) Considerations When Purchasing Hearing Aids 229 Paying More Does Not Guarantee Better Outcomes 230 Selecting from the Many Styles 230 Choosing a Brand 232 Seeking Hearing Aids with Telecoils 233 Powering Your Hearing Aid with Rechargeable Batteries 233 Deciding on Open or Closed Fit 234 Insuring Your Hearing Aids with a Trial Period Warranty 234 Customizing and Supporting Your Hearing Aids 235 Monitoring Health with Hearing Aids 236 Accessorizing Your Hearing Aids 236 Setting Expectations and Practicing 237 Chapter 18: Ten Everyday Strategies to Hear Better 239 Get Close and Face-to-Face 239 Recognize the Hearing Needs of the People You’re Talking With 240 Turn Down the Background Sounds 240 Don’t Just Ask “Huh?” 241 Choose Good Listening Environments 241 Use Closed Captioning 241 Wear Headphones When Listening to Music or Watching Media 242 Use Video Calls or VOIP When Calling Others 242 Customize the Hearing and Sound Features on Your Smartphone 243 Know Your Hearing Number 243 Chapter 19: Ten Myths about Hearing Loss 245 Hearing Loss Is Just Part of Getting Older so It Can’t Be That Important 245 My Hearing Is Fine; It’s Just That Everyone Is Mumbling 246 Trouble Hearing? Just Have People Shout! 246 I’ll Wait to Get My Hearing Tested Until I Notice a Problem 246 I’ll Address My Hearing Loss Later When It Gets Really Bad 247 I Have Hearing Loss Now I Need Hearing Aids? 247 Hearing Aids Fix Your Hearing 248 I Can Just Put in My Hearing Aids and They’ll Work Fine 248 A Cochlear Implant Is Only for People Who Are Completely Deaf 249 I Should Keep My Hearing Loss to Myself 249 Index 251