Hearing loss is very common.

Actually 1 in 7 individuals have hearing loss in the US.

And about 50 million people on average are have hearing loss in the US.

It increases with age.

But still children, about 12% of children have hearing loss over the age of 70.

About 65% of the population will have hearing loss.

Some of the very common causes of hearing loss can include noise.

And noise exposure is one of the more common reasons So some of the professions that are associated with hearing loss and some of them you might not even think of.

But, you're a beautician and you're using blow dryers all day long, you can incur damage.

some people might work in an environment and do okay.

And then others will have, an increased susceptibility to hearing loss.

So musicians, factory workers, preschool teacher.

That's in a very loud classroom.

someone that drives loud trucks all day long?

a dentist that maybe uses a dental drill could also be a common, cause of noise exposure.

And also professions that can can contribute to hearing loss.

Also heredity.

About 50% of hearing loss is hereditary.

Even your susceptibility to noise is hereditary.

So some people have steel ears.

They're able to withstand lots of noise.

Some people have paper ears.

And so very small amounts of noise can cause hearing loss.

Medications can cause hearing loss.

NSAIDs is, you know, one of the causes of hearing loss.

Chemotherapy drugs can also cause hearing loss.

And viral infections of the ear can also cause hearing loss.

But there are many, many medical issues as well as medications and treatments, that can actually contribute to the hearing loss.

Some early signs of hearing loss.

you might notice that things are muffled.

You're not you're not hearing everything when people turn their back to you or they speak a little bit softly.

When you're in a crowded environment, you just feel like you can't follow the conversations.

You miss the punch lines.

that a lot of times, family members will notice that before you do.

Another early sign would be tinnitus.

or tonight tonight's tinnitus is the perception of sound.

And it can be humming or buzzing, or it can be ringing and sound like power lines.

It can actually be music.

Some people have musical tinnitus, and that doesn't mean that there's anything wrong with them.

It's just another form of tinnitus.

And approximately 10 to 15% of the population will have tinnitus.

It's very common.

2 to 3% will have annoying tinnitus.

And there's some new treatments out there.

One of the main treatments that we work with is sound therapy.

And then we also work with amplification, because approximately two thirds of the people that have tennis will get some benefit just by utilizing hearing aids or some type of, amplified sound.

90% of the people that have that I see that have tinnitus also will have hearing loss.

So that's a that's an early precursor or an early sign of actual actually having hearing loss.

another cause of hearing loss can be a conductive hearing loss or conductive hearing loss.

Means that the sound is traveling through the ear canal itself, but it's being obstructed either in the canal or behind the eardrum in that middle ear space.

So causes of conductive hearing loss would be middle ear infections, which are common in children, but they're also common in people over, you know, the age of 65 or 75.

So we still see it in a lot of people of all ages.

Ear wax is another common cause of hearing loss, and that can also cause tinnitus to And people often wonder what hearing loss sounds like.

When you have hearing loss, things are muffled.

It just kind of like the peanuts gang.

And they'll want, want, want.

Wah wah.

You can hear people talking, but you just don't get, the gist of what they're saying.

Besides the person that might notice that they're having hearing difficulties, that also affects family members.

And it can affect friends.

It can also affect you in a work environment as well.

It can cause frustration.

There can be, some reduction in social activities.

And, you know, some people will withdraw and not go to activities.

They also will reduce their contact with others.

Because of that, it can also put up a wall between between the family members sometimes too.

You'll find that the the roles have changed like the, the one family member might have to be the interpreter and feel like everything's on them when they get into a social setting, they're the one that has to take the responsibility or bear the brunt of making sure everything's understandable.

When they're when they're in a at a doctor's appointment can increase tension.

Also within a marriage or within a friendship?

So many ways that it can affect, affect families and the communication overall.

There are many health issues that are associated with hearing loss.

diabetes is one of them.

Hypertension or high blood pressure is a very common.

There are also other things that are associated with hearing loss, such as anxiety and depression.

There are some quality of life issues that are associated with untreated hearing loss that are actually better.

Once we treat hearing loss, you're more likely to fall.

You're even with a mild hearing loss, you're three times more likely to fall.

And so there are many, many issues that can, together affect your global overall health, when we hear that information goes from that cochlear up to the brain and your stimulating that auditory pathway from the ears to the brain, and if your brain doesn't receive that information, it starts to lose its ability to process.

And understand.

So one of the significant effects is we're seeing more brain shrinkage.

Reorganization of the brain.

And that relates to a couple of things.

You're more isolated when you have hearing loss.

People withdraw.

Another thing is that overloads the brain.

So you're not using the hearing centers anymore.

Using other parts of the brain.

Which overloads the brain.

And then the third thing is the brain shrinks.

So it's really important and critical to treat, treat, treat the hearing loss.

And so some steps that people can take to prevent hearing loss.

Number one would be to utilize hearing protection whenever you're exposed to loud noise.

And you can also if you're listening to headphones, you want to use the 66 year old.

So you really don't want to turn the volume up more than 60%.

And listen for 60 minutes a day.

Other people shouldn't be able to hear a lot of a lot of noise when you're wearing a headset.

It's important to to ask your physician if you're taking medications that have a risk factor for, for hearing loss.

Just to make sure that you're aware of that.

And then good overall health, too is also important.

So, you know, limiting your smoking, smoking can also contribute to hearing loss too.

That's a risk factor.

But exercise, anything that's good for your overall health is good for your hearing, One of the first steps you should take when you decide it's time to get a baseline hearing test, and you want to have an assessment to to evaluate if you're hearing well or do you have a little bit of a hearing.

Difficulty is to contact a doctor of audiology, contact a reputable clinic.

Sometimes it's interesting to just talk to friends in the area and they will.

They often know who is who's really good.

You can also look at Google reviews.

But I would contact a clinic and you can also check with your physician.

Physicians are great resources to be able to direct you in the right direction.

Set up a hearing assessment, which is your baseline, and a baseline assessment.

They will test your hearing in quiet.

They'll test your hearing and noise, and they test your hearing with tones.

I've had people come to me and say, you know, someone tested my hearing and they just read a bunch of words.

That is not a comprehensive hearing test.

You should be listening for tones, the softest tones that you hear and quiet.

And then you can listen to words in quiet and in noise.

And give you a really good picture.

Explain what's going on and how to help you if you're encountering some difficulties.

They can do middle ear testing, where they're checking to see if you have infection or fluid or any, wax in the ear canal.

I'm just checking to make sure that air looks nice and healthy and pearly gray.

And there's an extra wax in there.

if you're seeking treatment, you have an assessment.

And they identified that you had hearing loss and you're ready to look at some treatment options.

So you're missing some of the softer, softer, consonant sounds here.

And these kinds of sounds here.

And then the very soft, high frequency consonant sounds here, the sibilance.

So first thing to know is that you'll meet with someone and discuss different types and features of hearing aids.

and so every hearing aid has microphones and it has two microphones on the top has an amplifier, and then it has a receiver.

And then there's a battery in here.

And the battery is rechargeable.

Also, there's a button on the back that allows you to adjust the hearing aids so you can turn them up and down.

It's important that they look at your dexterity, your cognition, your, that they explain different types and features of hearing aids.

And it's really helpful to have a family member present because it's a big decision.

It's an investment, and family should be involved in that decision making process.

And you want to figure out what's going to work best for your lifestyle.

And so they will use real ear measures.

Real ear measures is a tool that they use to customize the process for your own individual, your ears.

Everything done with a computer is based on average values and real ear measures.

Really fine tuned things.

So you get the very, very best result.

the way to get the most out of your hearing aids is first to have regular checkups.

Hearing aids are susceptible to wax and moisture issues, and when you don't get regular checkups, you don't always know when they're working well and when they're not working well.

So a good clinic will put them through a test box.

They'll measure them about.

Actually, 2 to 5% of clinics regularly measure the electronics in the hearing aids.

And I think it's very, very important.

So you should keep them in a dry place.

Utilize them daily, making sure you wear them all day, because that's good for brain function.

We found that the hearing aids will stimulate the brain and increase the the synapses in the brain.

And without them, you're more likely for the brain to shrink.

Keep them clean.

and ensure that you're able to put them in.

Take them out and utilize your apps, to be able to adjust them in different situations and get the most out of them in all of those situations.

one final thought about hearing loss is, although hearing loss can be frustrating and it can cause some challenges with relationships and life.

We also know that treating hearing loss can improve your quality of life significantly, can improve your mobility.

Can you be less likely to fall?

Can improve your cognition.

It can help with anxiety and depression.

There's so many advantages of, treating the hearing loss and making your life better and feeling more connected and feeling less tired by the end of the day.

So your life is better overall.