Do you need a hearing evaluation? Find out more here
How to determine whether you’re suffering from hearing loss

Here’s a startling fact: One in ten Americans suffers from some form of hearing loss. In fact, one in every three Americans over the age of 65 has some degree of difficulty hearing. Try to go through the following checklist to determine if you have a hearing problem that might require professional assistance.
Ten Signs and Symptoms of Hearing Loss:
• Do you hear, but not understand, what is being spoken?
• Do you have trouble hearing the radio or television?
• Do you feel that other people seem to talk too quickly or mumble at you?
• Do you have difficulty hearing people speak when there is background
noise in a social gathering or restaurant?
• Do you find yourself watching the mouths of people as they speak?
• Do you experience ringing, fullness, or pain in one or both ears?
• Do you always ask people to repeat what they say?
• Is anyone in your family deaf or hard of hearing?
• Do you find it difficult to understand others when you’re on the phone?
• Do you tend to hear male voices more easily than female voices?
If you answered "yes" to any of these questions you should consider getting a hearing evaluation. Through a thorough healing evaluation, you can rule out simple problems such as wax blockage and can determine if referral to a physician is necessary. Only 5 to 10% of hearing loss can be corrected medically or surgically. Hearing aids will be recommended in most cases to improve your communication ability. It is a good idea for family and friends to use the following tips to improve communication, even with the appropriate hearing aids:
Ten Tips for Communicating with the Hearing-Impaired
• Make sure that the person is looking at you before you start to talk; get the person's attention first.
• Have the light on the speaker's face, not in the listener's eyes while facing the person.
• Make your mouth visible as you talk.
• Talk in a quiet place whenever possible.
• Speak clearly, slowly, and enunciate your words more.
• Since shouting only distorts the speech signal, it is better not to shout.
• Use facial expressions, hand gestures, and lip movements to add to your message.
• If your message is not understood at first, try to rephrase it in a different way.
• Write down your message if necessary.
• Have the person repeat what you said to check for accuracy so you can make sure that the person is not bluffing or pretending he or she heard you