How an Amplified Phone helps hearing loss

A person’s ability to hear can impact many areas of their life from their desire to be in social situations or even their mood.

Years of exposure to loud noise and aging causes hearing loss for many Americans.  Often this type of loss goes undetected because it happens gradually over many years. As their hearing becomes worse, it is common for someone to withdraw from parts of their life. Everything from talking to friends and family on the phone to watching television can become very difficult.

Not all hearing loss is caused by age. There are several reasons a person’s hearing could become worse, including ear wax, infections or genetics.

There are two main types of hearing loss, conductive and sensorineural.

Conductive hearing loss is caused by damage to the outer or middle ear that could be caused by excessive wax, a ruptured ear drum or infection.  Sensorineural hearing loss is often caused by aging, excessive noise or infections. It can also be caused by birth defects, disease or head trauma.

There are also varying levels of hearing loss. A hearing professional can administer a hearing test to tell you exactly what sound frequencies you are missing. In general, however, hearing loss is categorized as mild, moderate, severe or profound.

Whatever the cause or degree of loss, it is important to be aware how well you are hearing so that if you do have a hearing loss it can be treated. Untreated hearing loss can actually cause your hearing to become worse.

Here is a quick glimpse into how common hearing loss is:

• More than 28 million Americans have a hearing loss. Of those, more than 9 million are over the age of 65.
• More than 10 million middle-aged Americans have a hearing loss.
• Sensorineural damage is the largest form of hearing loss.
• Many studies have shown that untreated hearing loss can cause depression, anxiety and paranoia.

If you believe you have a hearing loss, it’s easy and free to find out for sure. We offer free hearing tests at our locations in Texas. Type in your zip code below to find out where you can get your hearing tested for free.