Remember the “Can you hear me now?” ad Verizon launched over two decades ago pushing its internet reliability? It featured an actor wearing thick-rimmed glasses clutching a cell phone while transiting various rural and crowded locations. While we giggled at it then, it’s a question a bunch of us get often today!
Hearing loss is bad news. It can increase our chances of dementia. It affects our social lives. Cupping a hand behind your ear helps but it’s only a quick, short-term fix. More bad news, seniors. One in three people ages 65 to 74 experience some disabling hearing loss. The stats jump to over 50 percent for those 75 or older. Hitting 90? There definitely should be hearing aids on your nightstand.
So, reviewing those percentages, bet lots of Londoners responded to the famous opening line of Mark Antony’s funeral speech in Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar saying… borrow somebody else’s ears; ours don’t work so well.
Age-related hearing loss runs in families and, of course, has a fancy medical name—presbycusis. The main cause is deterioration or loss of sensory hair cells inside the cochlea. The cochlea? It’s a small, fluid-filled, spiral-shaped structure in the inner ear that converts soundwaves into electrical signals for the brain.
Clues that our hearing isn’t what it used to be? Think others are mumbling? Frequently asking people to repeat themselves? Turning up the volume on the television or radio? Having trouble understanding conversations when there is background noise especially when dining out? So, if you want to eat dinner at a popular restaurant, the only choices are an early reservation or a booth.
Hearing loss leads to entertaining mix-ups. They say windy; you hear Wednesday. They say Thursday; you hear thirsty. They say endearing; you hear earring. Remember Jimi Hendrix’s 1967 hit Purple Haze? Jimi sang, “Scuse me while I kiss the sky.” Many heard, “Scuse me while I kiss this guy.” Jimi kissing a guy? That heightened the popularity of the term “mondegreen,” mishearing a word or a phrase that gives the wording new meaning. Great to know young people screw up too! Oops! We were the young people then!
Having trouble understanding what people are saying over the telephone? There’s a quick fix. Most modern smartphones have a real-time text caption feature built into their software. No need to buy a transcription phone. Ask the grandkids for help setting it up.
Earwax can cause temporary hearing loss when it builds up and blocks the ear canal. Earwax is normal and essential for ear health. Yes, its yellow appearance and waxiness are icky. Most of the time, ears are self-cleaning and earwax just drains out of our ears on its own.
If earwax buildup becomes bothersome, there are lots of over-the-counter ear drops to solve the problem. Be sure to use the squeeze bulb syringe for rinsing that comes with the drops. Never, never, never use Q-tips, say otolaryngologists specializing in ear health! They just push the earwax deeper.
The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders maintains that about 28.8 million U.S. adults could benefit from a hearing aid. Not going there! Too many of our friends are dissatisfied with theirs. Our advice? Check out the National Council on Aging’s top hearing aid picks. As one jokester kidded, “What do you call an old man who has his hearing aids turned off? Anything you want, because he can’t hear you!”
So, our Wrinkled Wisdom for today? Our sense of hearing informs, enriches, and all too often disrupts our lives. Schedule an annual hearing test to catch early signs of hearing loss and reduce the chances of getting dementia. Smile and say “mondegreen” when someone corrects you for mishearing them. Well, maybe don’t toss those Q-tips! And, don’t be offended by that four-letter word used often by oldies who can’t hear well. What???
