If there were no need to communicate every day, older adults with hearing loss would have less of a problem. Helen Keller is credited with noting that blindness cuts us off from things, but deafness cuts us off from people. And this significant impact of hearing loss on communication and interaction with others can sometimes go unrecognized by healthcare practitioners, leading to stresses on their overall mental health. Coping with hearing loss is different from other disabilities in that it is an “invisible” handicap. The reactions or behaviors associated with hearing loss may not be apparent, and even the sight of a hearing aid doesn’t guarantee recognition of a disability. A day in the
Did you know that, according to the CDC (The Center for Disease Control), more than 50 million Americans experience tinnitus? What is tinnitus? Tinnitus is the medical term for the sensation of hearing sound - specifically a ringing noise - in your ears despite the fact that there are no external sounds present. In most cases, tinnitus can only be experienced by the person who is suffering through it. While many people who experience tinnitus describe their experience as hearing a ringing in their ears, others have said that they experience a hissing, buzzing, whistling, chirping, or even roaring sound. For some people, tinnitus is mild and lasts only brief moments... though others can exper
