She asks, “Have you been to see your audiologist lately?”
He responds, “What?”
She asks again, only louder, “HAVE YOU BEEN TO SEE YOUR AUDIOLOGIST LATELY?!”
He responds sheepishly, “Oh. No, I haven’t.”
She sighs, “Ah, so that’s why you didn’t hear me say I love you…”
“What?”
Hearing loss is more common in today’s world than ever before. And yet the reasons are still the same.
The two basic reasons hearing loss occurs are either conductive, which means something is keeping the hearing waves from reaching the cochclea (or inner ear) or damage has occurred in the inner workings of the ear.
The three, main causes of conductive hearing loss can be easily checked and remedied by your audiologist. These three causes can include:
- Ear wax build up
- A build up of fluid in the Eustachian tubes – caused by recurring allergies, for example
- High or repeated doses of certain medications such as NSAIDs (ibuprofen or naproxen sodium).
Each of these conductive issues can be diagnosed and taken care of by a simple visit to your ear doctor.
Some doctors may suggest alternative remedies in the form of nutrients such as amino acids, Glutathione (an enzyme that helps vitamins C& E to work more effectively), or Coenzyme Q10 which is a supplement that helps our fatty acids produce more energy in cells and in our body.
But what if the hearing loss is caused by damage?
Most of us know that protecting ourselves from damage caused by excessive noise is a wise course of action, but what about the damage that has already happened?
In today’s busy, noisy world of autos, planes, heavy construction vehicles and office machines, (not to mention headphones and ear buds) damage is almost unavoidable.
Once this irreversible damage has taken place, following a check up and diagnosis, the remedy given may include an assistive hearing device.
These new, sleek, small devices have become more powerful and effective for all ages of patients and types of hearing loss.
So see your audiologist, and your next conversation with a loved one might go like this:
“I love you.”
“I love you, too, and I love the sound of your beautiful voice…”