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The Oakmont News / November 1, 2017
HEARS
Hearing, Education, Advocacy, Research and Support nJohn Taylor, HEARS President
Not hearing is a huge problem for anyone with impaired capability. It affects most areas of our lives with special emphasis on the brain which, after all, is the center of our understanding and memory. A word or part of a word with sounds that do not come through clearly, require additional brain processing power to decipher it, if at all. Listening to a conversation or lecture in soft or accented English can be a trial and an hour or two of that can result in extreme fatigue. Mild to severe impairment usually can be largely mitigated by hearing aids. Even profound impairment can be
greatly helped. Hearing aids equipped with Bluetooth wireless capability that is controlled with a smart phone App can provide substantial additional help. Having phone calls, music, and audiobooks or an external microphone play directly to both hearing aids is a tremendous advantage. Normal Hearing (0–25 dB degree of loss): Hearing is considered normal. Mild Hearing Loss (25–40 dB degree of loss): Difficulty hearing soft speech in noisy situations.
Moderate Hearing Loss (40–60 dB degree of loss): Difficulty hearing moderate speech when background noise is present. Severe Hearing Loss (60–80 dB degree of loss): Difficulty hearing loud speech, but heard if amplified. Profound Hearing Loss (80 dB or more): Difficulty hearing and understanding, even with amplification. HEARS goal is to help improve hearing for our residents. Do get on the HEARS email list (jctmkt@ gmail.com) and attend the HSG meetings.