The Ebers Papyrus, an ancient medical journal from 1550 BC, offers a medical remedy for poor hearing – a concoction of ant eggs, bat wings, goat urine, and olive oil.
People who had challenges with hearing also, at one time, used an ear trumpet – an enormous hearing funnel made from materials like animal horns, wood, and snail shells.
You might think that anyone who avoids getting a yearly hearing health exam might be fearful of treatments like the ones mentioned. However, scheduling a hearing test, at least once a year, can help you take charge of your hearing health as well as heart health, ensuring your emotional and physical well-being, safety, continued employment, and ability to communicate.
The Heart and Hearing Connection
If you can’t hear as well as you once did, it might be the result of your circulation, or you may have more heart problems as the result of a hearing loss. Let’s look at some of the ways this can happen.
Jervell and Lange-Nielsen Syndrome
Jervell and Lange-Nielsen syndrome is an inherited and rare condition that is marked by an abnormal beating heart and congenital deafness. While some people with the condition do not have these symptoms, others may develop an abnormally increased heartbeat that can lead to sudden cardiac arrest.
Cardiovascular Disease and Hearing Loss: How a Hearing Impairment Can Increase the Risk of a Premature Death
One study found that hearing loss increases the risk for a premature death from cardiovascular disease, especially in people under the age of 75. Another body of research revealed that hearing loss increases the risk for cardiovascular death and injury-related fatalities.
Problems with the Circulation That Lead to a Hearing Loss
If a heart does not provide enough blood flow to the inner heart, a person can have problems with hearing. This is because the hair cells in the ear require ample circulation so people can hear. If the cells get damaged, they won’t grow back, which also compounds the problem.
Experiencing a Sudden Hearing Loss May Be a Warning That You Have Heart Disease
If you experience a sudden hearing loss, you may have heart disease. That’s because the internal organ in the inner ear, the cochlea, needs a sufficient flow of blood to function properly.
In-Pulse CPR Training: How It Fits Into the Picture
If you have a loved one with cardiovascular disease, who has problems with arrhythmia or other circulation disorders, you owe it to them and yourself to take CPR training. A sudden cardiac arrest can happen to anyone – young or old, getting trained is imperative.
Have You Been Diagnosed with High Cholesterol or High Blood Pressure?
If you have high cholesterol or high blood pressure, it’s a good idea to schedule an appointment with an audiologist for a baseline hearing test. If you show any signs of hearing loss then, you can also schedule an appointment with your doctor to check your cardiovascular health.
Scheduling a Hearing Health Exam: How Long Does a Hearing Health Exam Take?
A hearing test, also called an audiometry test, may take from 30 to 60 minutes. However, the average time is about 30 to 40 minutes, and it’s painless.
The Consultation
Your audiologist will discuss your medical history with you along with any hearing difficulties you’re currently experiencing. They may also go over your lifestyle and work life during this initial consultation.
A Quick Physical Check
Next, the audiologist will perform a quick physical exam of your ears. It only takes about five minutes..
Pure-Tone Audiometry
After the physical ear exam, you’re usually tested with pure-tone audiometry. During this test, you’ll sit in a soundproof room and wear headphones.You’ll press a button when you hear sounds emitted at various pitches and volumes.
This test determines if you’re able to hear certain low-pitched or high-pitched sounds, or quiet or louder sounds, and if you’ve experienced a hearing loss in either ear. This test takes about 15 minutes.
Speech Test
Your next test involves listening to speech at different levels, played into each ear–one at a time. This part of a hearing health exam measures how much speech you’re able to understand. This can help determine how certain hearing aids or other assistive hearing devices can help you hear. It takes about 10 minutes of your time.
Tympanometry
This hearing test checks eardrum functioning. The audiologist pushes air into the ear using a small probe that resembles an earbud or earphone. The probe is linked to a device that produces a graph called a tympanogram, which allows the audiologist to check on how the eardrum moves. Expect this test to take 5 to 10 minutes total.
This test is used to see if there is fluid in the middle ear, ear wax build-up, an ear infection, a tumor in the middle ear, or a hole in the eardrum. It can identify any scarring on the eardrum and check the pressure as well. It is also used to determine if the eustachian tube is working properly.
After your hearing health exam, your audiologist will go over the results, which are typically featured on an audiogram.
The audiologist will show what the exam revealed about your ability to hear and tell you if you’ve experienced any degree of hearing loss.
Permanent Hearing Loss
If your hearing loss is permanent, you’ll be fitted with a hearing aid or cochlear implant. The sooner you determine that you have an impairment, the easier it will be to remedy the condition.
For example, you can find in-the-ear hearing aids that can be easily hidden, allowing you to hear better and communicate at home and at work. The longer you wait to treat the condition, you’ll have fewer options for improving your hearing loss and overall health.
When a hearing loss is permanent, it usually results from a noise induced hearing loss (NIHL) or from the aging process.
How a Permanent Hearing Loss Happens
The hair cells in your ears detect sound waves, sending information to the brain. However, the use of certain medicines, exposure to loud noise, and aging can destroy these hairs and cells. Since the hair cells won’t grow back, a hearing impairment results.
Noise induced hearing loss (NIHL) damages the stereocilia perch atop sensory hair cells in the inner ear. This type of impairment is also called sensorineural hearing loss or nerve deafness. This common form of a permanent hearing impairment may also result from trauma or an injury.
Temporary Hearing Loss
When hearing loss is temporary, it’s known as conductive hearing loss. This form of reduced hearing may result from a fluid accumulation in the inner ear, earwax buildup, or a perforated eardrum.
Reversing a Loss of Hearing
It’s important to remember that exposure to a loud noise can result in a temporary threshold shift in the loss of hearing. This shift is reversible, allowing a person to recover within 24 to 48 hours.
However, repeated exposures to louds noises will trigger a permanent threshold shift and ultimately lead to a hearing impairment. Therefore, a sound that is too loud or long-lasting will damage the inner ear and cause a permanent loss of hearing.
Measuring the Amount of Hearing Loss
Decibels (dB) are the unit of measurement that gauges the amount of hearing loss. They can be broken down in degrees, as follows.
- Normal hearing – no more than 25 db of hearing loss
- Mild hearing loss – 26 to 40 dB
- Moderate hearing loss – 41 to 55 dB
- Moderate to severe hearing loss – 56 to 70 dB
- Severe hearing loss – 71 to 90 dB
- Profound hearing loss – 91 to 100 dB
Sounds under 70 dB are typically deemed safe, even after a lengthy exposure to a loud noise. However, if you have repeated exposure to any noise that ‘s above 85 dB, you can expect to have problems with hearing loss. The louder the sound, the faster the development.
Exposure Levels of Everyday Sounds
Some decibels for common everyday sounds include:
- Lawnmowers – 80 to 100 dB
- Sporting events – 94 to 110 dB
- Emergency sirens – 110 to 129 dB
- Fireworks – 140 to 160 dB
Why Scheduling a Hearing Health Exam Regularly Keeps You in Control Of Your Hearing Health
Keeping your hearing health in check makes it possible for you to enjoy life more and maintain a better lifestyle personally and professionally. People who don’t treat a hearing problem can fall into a state of depression – sometimes even denial.
Needless to say, it’s tough to communicate if you can’t hear others, listen to the news, or take part in social activities.This type of impairment can lead to a job loss and social isolation over time.
So, keeping a date with an audiologist is one activity that should be included on everyone’s to-do list. It doesn’t take over an hour, and can mean the difference between better health and the deterioration of both your hearing and well-being over time.
Schedule CPR Training as Well
As mentioned, taking a class in CPR is also a good idea if you have a loved one who has a heart condition. Even if that is not the case, getting trained in CPR is one of the best ways you can spend your time and support your community and workplace. Why wait? If you live in Florida, Minnesota, Tennessee, or Pennsylvania, schedule a class in CPR on theIn-Pulse CPR website.
Author: Donna Ryan is a writer from Tucson, Arizona. You can contact her about her writing and publishing services at Inky Publishing anytime.