MAY • 2009
FLORIDAHEALTHNEWS-ONLINE.COM
How to Recognize the Signs of Hearing Loss
more options than ever for treating hearing loss and protecting your hearing in the future.
If you couldn't hear well, would you wait five to nine years or longer to address the problem? Many people do just that. The average age of first-time hearing aid users is 67, yet the Better Hearing Institute reports that nearly half of all people with hearing loss are younger than 55. Why the delay in seeking help?
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Many people with hearing difficulties aren't even aware they have a problem," says Dr. Barry Freeman, an audiologist at Starkey, a global hearing technology company. "Because the change happens over time, treatment may be delayed until the problem is fairly significant. By getting your hearing checked early and regularly, you should be able to treat the problem and find a solution that allows you to enjoy all the sounds of life that you love."
Freeman says the first step in treating hearing loss is to recognize its most common signs. If you or a loved one experiences the following, it might be time to contact a hearing care professional: * Turning up the volume of the TV or radio. * Problems hearing the doorbell or the telephone ringing.
* Difficulty hearing people calling and talking from behind you or in another room.
* Asking people to repeat themselves or saying "what?" frequently.
The Right Solution
Every person has individual hearing needs and should work with a hearing care professional to find the best solution to your hearing problem. A professional can assess your hearing loss and fit you with the best hearing aid for your lifestyle. That means assessing both the style of the hearing aid as well as the technology level, since there are a number of options for both.
* Often cupping hands behind the ears.
A Noisy World
Modern society has created a noisy world. From traffic to lawn equipment to kitchen appliances, a number of different things we hear every day expose our ears to damaging levels of noise. By age 20, we've lost the ability to perceive some of the sounds infants can hear. By the time we reach 30 or 40, subtle but significant losses have begun to occur. Once we reach our 80s, more than half of us suffer from significant hearing loss.
If you have a hearing problem, you aren't alone -- more than 31 million Americans suffer from hearing loss according to the
Exercising Body and Brain
Regular exercise can help prevent or delay type 2 diabetes, heart disease, some cancers and help relieve arthritis pain, anxiety and depression. Mental activity is just as important as physical activity.
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Eating Right
Healthy eating can help prevent and control many diseases, such as high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes, and improve your energy level.
The good news is modern hearing devices are nothing like the hearing aids of your parents' generation. Today's instruments are sleek, sophisticated pieces of equipment scientifically engineered to deliver clear sound without constant manual adjustment or annoying feedback -- the whistling often associated with hearing aids.
* Misunderstanding or "forgetting" what has been said.
Live Longer and Love Every Minute
oday, Americans are living longer than ever before, enjoying more time for travel, family and hobbies. For today's seniors and baby boomers looking to stay healthy and independent for years to come, practicing easy, proven healthy-living strategies can make a difference in their health and wallets.
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Staying mentally active may also lower the chances of developing Alzheimer's disease and help offset normal age-related decline in thinking skills.
Health Check-ups
By getting a regular physical exam, a physician can catch health problems early on, treating them with efficiency and accuracy to maintain overall health. Healthier people spend less money on health care. At age 50 it's important to start annual exams for colorectal cancer, and men should have a prostate exam. Screenings for osteoporosis should start at age 60 for women who are underweight.
More tips on healthy aging can be found in the "American Medical Association Complete Guide to Prevention and Wellness."
Also available to help you to get healthier is AMA's Healthier Life Steps Program with tools and resources to get started on lifestyle improvements. Information and tools can be found at www.ama-assn.org/go/healthierlifesteps.
Better Hearing Institute. Unfortunately, 80 percent of them do not seek help. Take the first step for you or your family member and visit a hearing care professional in your area for a hearing evaluation. You can find a professional near you at starkey.com. Your problem may be as simple as excessive earwax buildup or related to other medical causes. If you are diagnosed with a hearing impairment, you'll find that there are now
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For example, Starkey researches and develops hearing aids that are both nearly invisible and effective. These devices offer Active Feedback Intercept, a technology that eliminates feedback. Additionally, Directional Speech Detector helps you hear and understand speech better, even in noisy areas. Hearing is an incredibly important part of communication and quality of life. If you or a loved one is having trouble hearing, depression and frustration can occur. It's important to get help today so you can hear well and enjoy your life. Visit www.starkey.com to take a simple, quick online hearing evaluation and to locate a hearing professional near you who can help you find the best hearing solution for you.
America's Retirees Working to Protect Health Care Benefits They Earned
etirees and baby boomers throughout the nation are wondering with great trepidation, what would happen to them if their health care coverage were simply taken away?
Many fear that the current economic crisis in America will speed up that process. It has already occurred with retirees of some of America's largest corporations, and municipalities are threatening to follow suit. According to Paul Miller, executive director of the national retiree advocacy group, ProtectSeniors.Org, the situation is as dire as the bailout was for the auto industry, Wall Street and America's major banks. "There are currently an estimated 18.5 million American retirees and baby boomers in the United States with health benefits being significantly threatened," Miller says. "If cancelled by the corporations they once worked for, most would be dumped into the federal and state healthcare systems. In effect, this means their former employers would be get-
ting an additional back door federal bailout at the expense of the taxpayer." The health care coverage Miller is referring to is earned retiree benefits that tens of millions of Americans earned and paid for during their working years. He says that for whatever reason, many corporations never socked that money aside and are using the current financial turmoil to threaten the cancellation and further reduction of these benefits.
Much of his organization's hope is placed on a bipartisan legislative proposal- titled the Emergency Retiree Health Benefits Protection Act in the 110th Congress -- which gained the support of 88 bipartisan co-sponsors. The bill would prohibit employers from making post-retirement cancellations or reductions of health benefits that retirees had earned. To find out more about ProtectSeniors.Org advocacy call (202) 434-8193 or visit www.ProtectSeniors.Org.