IN Hampton Summer 2016 | Page 37

INDUSTRY INSIGHT HEARING SPONSORED CONTENT Why can I hear, but I cannot understand speech? D id you know that 84% of what we say is found within the high pitch (frequency) range? Did you also know that 15% of Americans (26 million people) between the ages of 20 and 69 suffer with high-pitch hearing loss due to noise exposure at work or play? Some of the speech sounds that are affected are s, f, t, v, sh. Women’s voices tend to cluster in the higher pitch range, which is why many complain that they hear men better than women. This is why “50” and “60” sound somewhat alike for someone with such a loss, especially in noisy places. Going to a restaurant, dinner party, meeting or family gathering can be quite frustrating if you have a high frequency hearing loss. You can hear the words but mistake the meaning because all the vowels come in clear, but the high-pitch consonants blend in with the ambient noise. Our ears listen to the world around us and send the message to the brain – which interprets that message that we hear. When the messages that our brains get come in distorted, or not complete, misunderstanding occurs. Because we hear and understand better with two ears, listening on the telephone with a hearing loss may also be a challenge. Determining the direction or distance a sound is coming from is also impacted for those with high frequency hearing loss. Hearing loss may be caused by noise exposure, aging (presbycusis), heredity, medications (large quantities of aspirin, some chemotherapy drugs and some antibiotics), and diseases (Meniere’s disease and chronic ear infections) – in some cases, the loss is focused in the high frequency range. Hearing loss can affect your interactions at home, work and play, resulting in anxiety that negatively affects your quality of life. Over the last 10 to 15 years, technology has vastly improved such that hearing aids are of greater benefit to those experiencing high frequency hearing loss. Speech and noise are processed separately, offering a more natural sound quality. Hearing aids can also connect seamlessly to your telephone, TV or other personal listening device. More recently it has been found that hearing loss may actually speed the effects of dementia due to the lack of information being delivered to the brain on a regular basis. The only way to know if you have high frequency hearing loss is to have a comprehensive diagnostic hearing evaluation by a licensed audiologist. At Rametta Audiology & Hearing Aid Center our staff treats you as you would treat you. For a no-obligation consultation and to learn why so many rely on Rametta Audiology for their hearing care needs, call our office today or visit us online to learn more about our history at www.RamettaHearing.com. This Industry Insight was written by Michael J. Rametta, M.S./F.A.D.A.. Michael J. Rametta, MS, is the owner and president of Rametta Audiology & Hearing Center. He is a certified clinical audiologist, with a master’s degree in audiology, and joined the practice full time in 1997. Rametta is a Fellow of the American Academy of Audiology and the Academy of Dispensing Audiologists. He has also won numerous awards for fitting knowledge and customer satisfaction. Attuned to the latest advances and products, the staff of Rametta Audiology & Hearing Center ensures that patients are provided with state-of-the-art technology. Additionally, every product sold includes the highest level of customer service from the experienced, trusted team. Hampton | Summer 2016 | icmags.com 35