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Health & Fitness

Hearing and Vision

Both vision and hearing begin to decline as we age and evaluating both simultaneously can help to identify problems and treatment options early.

Connecting Vision and Hearing Loss

Have you ever thought about how hearing and vision are connected to each other? They are arguably, two of the most important senses. Critical data is transmitted every waking moment to the visual cortex and auditory cortex in the brain, and these two sets of inputs give us our perception of the world around us. So, it make sense to evaluate these two senses together and to also provide treatment options in one location as well.

The two most common causes of hearing loss are age and noise exposure. The normal aging process begins around age 50, but exposure to loud noises (like music and industrial noise) may cause problems to occur much earlier in life.

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Vision loss and hearing loss often occur in the same people and other times purely because both problems affect us as we get older. These two key senses are critical to daily life, and while the loss of either can be debilitating, the loss of both will affect every minute of every day in some way.

For about 90% of all cases of hearing loss, hearing aids are the best available treatment option. In a recent scientific study of 1,900 people, with an average age of 70, researchers found a significant link between vision loss and hearing loss. Those with vision loss tended to also have hearing impairments and vice versa. The study suggests that hearing loss and vision loss could share common risk factors. In addition, the study concluded that older persons with vision loss were more likely to have trouble hearing and need a hearing device.

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New, modern designs are virtually invisible and so comfortable, you may even forget that you are wearing one.

Signs of Hearing Loss

  • Do you often ask people to repeat themselves?
  • Do you sometimes hear people talking but you don’t understand the words?
  • Do you have difficulty communicating in noisy places like restaurants?
  • Do people’s voices sound muffled or mumbled?
  • Do you misunderstand women and children’s voices more frequently than men’s voices?
  • Do you have the TV volume louder than normal so that you can understand the words?
  • Have you noticed a change in your memory?
  • Do you have ringing in your ears?
  • Do you have difficulty on the telephone?

 

If you answered “YES” to two or more questions, you may be having a hearing problem.

What should you expect from today’s hearing aids?

  • For 90% of all hearing problems, hearing aids are the treatment of choice. The result in most cases is a significant improvement in hearing clarity and understandability even in noisy places.
  • New technology produces a more “natural” sound quality (no more plugged up, echo or down-in-a-barrel sound).
  • 100 % digital, crisp, clear CD quality sound all the time.
  • Today’s technology is programmable to your hearing loss in case your hearing loss changes in the future.

 

Why should you get a hearing test?

  • Hearing loss is one of the most common and most frequently undiagnosed, untreated medical condition in our patient population here at Solinsky EyeCare.
  • People with hearing loss put off a decision to get hearing help because they are either in denial or unaware of the fact that receiving treatment for hearing loss has the potential to literally transform their lives.
  • “If I had a hearing loss, my family doctor would have told me.” Not necessarily! Studies indicate that only 14% of doctors routinely screen for hearing loss during a physical. Since most people with hearing loss hear pretty well in a quiet room (like a doctor’s office), it can be difficult, if not impossible for your doctor to notice the problem.
  • 90% of all cases can be diagnosed and treated right here at Solinsky Hearing Center Inc.

 

Evaluate Vision and Hearing Together

Both vision and hearing begin to decline as we age and evaluating both simultaneously can help to identify problems and treatment options early. Millions of older Americans have hearing loss and need hearing testing to identify the type and extent of the loss.

State-of-the-art testing equipment and licensed clinical staff are part of our program. Top-tier hearing instruments from a selection of the finest manufacturers in the world are available onsite for immediate fitting when appropriate. Now you can fulfill your eyeglasses, contacts, and hearing instrument needs in one convenient location and with the clinical team you already know and trust. Call for a hearing test appointment today at 860-236-9000.

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