"The Sooner the Better!"

When hearing is lost, even a minimal amount, we begin to lose contact with the world around us: people, nature and the flow of life. Losing touch with the natural world can happen at a slow, steady rate, and the loss can be so insidious that we don’t realize that it’s been years since we heard the sounds of crickets, birds, leaves rustling in the breeze, or the rich melody of water in a stream. These and so many more natural sounds were meant to tickle and delight us, and without them we live in a fuzzy netherworld, interrupted only by loud, jarring noises that drive us away and ultimately isolate us.

Denial of a hearing loss can set many negative patterns in motion, and the longer the denial, the more difficult it becomes to break these patterns. At any stage, introducing sound through a hearing device … encouraging these “lost” sounds back into our experience … is the road back to clarity and a more positive involvement with life and with people.

Now that so many of us can expect to live to a “ripe old age”, we need to consider the quality we want to bring to each of our lives. In 1999, a study conducted by the National Council on Aging revealed that “hearing loss often leads to isolation, depression, sadness, paranoia, and a measurable decrease in an individual’s social activity. Hearing loss can mimic forgetfulness, lead to mental dullness, and result in withdrawal from activities.”

In our business of prescribing hearing devices, we try to obviate the above difficulties, and we work continually to maintain the best hearing possible for any individual, for as long as possible.

In the case of any missing frequency of sound, information is what empowers us: the old adage, “forewarned is forearmed” was never a more fitting axiom to follow. Three out of five adults should have hearing correction. This means that everyone should be assessed regularly and corrected right away if necessary, so that there is as little interruption in brain activity as possible, in order for an individual to keep fully aware and dynamically involved with life.

When even one frequency of sound is missing, that translates into millions fewer messages per second, to be used as data for brain processing. Of course, if we can’t hear it, we don’t know it’s missing, so we carry along, blithely unaware that our hearing loss, however slight, is at the root of our memory loss, our inability to concentrate, our irritability, our paranoia, and basically, our unhappiness. This is not an exaggeration – people fitted with hearing aids commonly report the following:

·           feeling better generally,

·           taking more pleasure from daily living,

·           increased self-esteem,

·           less confusion,

·           improved memory

·           improved decision-making skills

·           … the list goes on!

What could be more important than this “brain food” in the form of sound waves? Indeed. Let’s ponder that question a little further – in these days of disciplining ourselves to be physically active, to take the “right” supplements, have the recommended medical tests done, use the best creams and tonics for our skin and hair, DOES IT REALLY MAKE SENSE TO IGNORE THE FACT THAT WE NEED TO CHECK ON OUR HEARING?

The answer is obvious. That’s why Beltone gives free, no-obligation evaluations and consultations to anyone who requests an appointment. Please call us today, and do something good for yourself and everyone you know.