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