It’s no secret that as people age things start to wear out – including ears. Our own Dr. Brian Peterson and audiologist Vance Gunnel were recently featured on Fox13, speaking about hearing loss among the Baby Boomer generation. The boomers … those born between 1945 and 1964 … are losing hearing at a more rapid pace than past generations … mostly because of exposure to loud noise. Nearly half of boomers have some degree of hearing loss, and few are doing something about it.
Fox 13’s Dave Nemeth brought the issue to the experts and took a hearing test at South Valley ENT. He doesn’t need a hearing aid yet, Vance determined, but probably will in the not-to-distant future.
Dr. Peterson told Dave that many people in their 40s and 50s begin to have difficulty picking out conversation in a crowded room. Others hear speech, but have a hard time understanding words. These types of hearing loss can be detrimental to our quality of life, he said. We want to participate – why not make it easy on ourselves to jump into the conversation?
“Why not enjoy everything we can about life while we still have the chance?” asks Dr. Peterson.
The first step … the one Dave Nemeth experienced, is a simple ten minute hearing test. This can determine how much hearing loss, if any, you have. There are a number of different types of hearing aids that can be used to address particular needs … one that fits outside the ear, one that goes inside the ear, or tiny aids that fit inside the ear canal. Profound hearing loss occasionally requires a cochlear implant.
The stigma of hearing aids is quickly fading, said Dr. Peterson. They have become more accepted and seen as a normal tool for communication. They are no longer seen as a defeat of aging. Join the Baby Boomer crowd and improve your quality of life by taking that first step … making an appointment for a hearing test at South Valley ENT. Call (801) 566-8304 for better hearing.