We Would Love to See Our Family Physicians Incorporate Hearing Screening into Routine Primary Care

When new Medicare recipients see their doctor for their Welcome to Medicare visit, the doctor may or may not ask about hearing. So far, hearing health has not been given an "A" rating, which is a flat-out recommendation to provide service. The doctor may be speaking loudly in a small room one-to-one setting, and so a hearing issue may not be on his/her radar.

But, the evidence is mounting to support early intervention for hearing loss. Early detection and appropriate intervention holds the key in reducing disability and maintaining independence. Last year's PCAST (President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology) endorsed access to appropriate hearing technology especially for people with mild to moderate hearing loss. Research finds that hearing aids, when indicated, boost social engagement, reduced caregiver and family stress, and reduced symptoms of depression, all factors important in positive health outcomes and quality of life.

As we have reported in the past, there are independent associations between hearing loss and an array of broader health issues, including cognitive decline, functional dependence, falls, social isolation, diabetes, cardiac problems and patient-physician communication.
Physicians, asked to be experts in so many health areas, may not be aware of the array of current treatment options available for hearing help.

So, if you or a loved one has concern about ease of hearing:

• Difficulty understanding family members
• Difficulty understanding health care providers
• Difficulty with group conversation
• Difficulty hearing in noise
• Difficulty hearing on the phone
• Communication is tiring or hearing loss interferes with easy flow of conversation…

Ask your doctor for a referral for a diagnostic hearing evaluation. We will make some measurements with you, and then educate and inform you about the results. We always send a clear report to your physician to explain the results.

Remember that communication is key to a full and joyous life at any age. Never say "at my age….…" I thought of this recently at holiday services when a 102 year old lady – a choreographer by training – led the congregation in beautiful body movements to accompany a prayer. 102! And still reaching up and out, and living strong. Remember: at the end of the day – what we have is connection and communication.

Tweaking! Whether it's a Concert Sound System, Cochlear Implants, or Your Hearing Aids, Sometimes a Little Adjustment Can Make All the Difference.

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of sitting on Sea Cliff beach and watching a favorite band set up the sound system before their concert. It was fascinating for me to watch the sound engineers add a drop of bass here and a bit of treble there till the musicians were pleased that the mix was just right.

Shortly after that, I heard a captivating story on NPR, so interesting that I am sharing the link here so you can hear it too. It is the story of a pediatric audiologist, a long-time hearing aid user, who then lost her hearing all together following a car accident. She went from being the provider of hearing services to the recipient.

Hearing aids no longer helped her very profound hearing loss, and she had surgery to obtain cochlear implants. Cochlear implants bypass the outer and middle ear, and the electrode array stimulates the auditory nerve fibers from within the cochlea. The device receives acoustic stimuli from the external processor that's worn outside the ear. This new sound took some work to get used to, even for a knowledgeable and seasoned audiologist.

As the research audiologist who worked with the patient explained, sometimes there is too much sound, as the sound from the incoming frequencies may "spread" and the sound may be blurry. In this case "more" stimulation could actually be "less" hearing. To clean up the sounds for this patient, they turned off a few of the electrodes, and suddenly the sound was perceived as cleaner and easier to hear.
Please listen to this story – even if you don't know much about cochlear implants I think you will find it interesting.

http://www.sciencefriday.com/videos/breakthrough-portraits-of-women-in-science-a-re-sounding-remedy/

And even if you do not have CI's or know anyone who does, remember that sometimes a little tweaking will make a real difference in the comfort and clarity of the sound quality. Hearing aids are works in progress as your brain accommodates to sound, and as we make little tweaks as we go along.