About four or five years ago n around the time he got married, jokes Grant n the 54-year-old began to notice his hearing wasn’t as sharp as it once was. He found he often had to ask his wife to repeat herself, leading her to jokingly respond: “1-800-Belltone,” referring to an advertisement for a nationally known company dealing in hearing devices.

So, Grant finally underwent hearing tests Wednesday afternoon at Avada Audiology & Hearing Care on West Constance Road and learned ndefinitively n that his hearing loss is quite marked.

If people talk to him, but don’t face him directly, Grant can hear them speaking, but he can’t understand what they are saying. He often has to ask people (not just his wife!) to repeat themselves two and three times before he can fully comprehend them.

The volume on the television must be turned way up, “Which is probably uncomfortable for my wife,” he admits.

Grant also has what is known as tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, although he describes his as more of a constant buzz. It’s like sitting outside near the lake, with the cicadas and frogs chirping n a constant din, he explained.

“I’ve just learned to live with it; but I’m tired of living with it.”

Becky Israel, a hearing instrument specialist with Avada, performed a series of tests with Grant. The first was a video otoscopic exam, where she put a camera inside his ear to check for any possible obstructions. He was able to see what she saw via a small TV.

The second was an air-conduction test, where he sat in a sound-proof booth with headphones on. Israel administered different pitches through the headphones, and Grant had to identify which ones he heard.

The verdict: he lost some of his high frequency hearing, had difficulty understanding speech and suffered from tinnitus, or ringing in the ears. The former two are experienced by about 85 percent of her customers, Israel said.

According to the Mayo Clinic Web site, http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hearing-loss/, hearing loss for some is as simple as earwax buildup, which blocks the ear canal and prevents conduction of sound waves.

But most hearing loss results from damage to the cochlea. Tiny hairs in the cochlea may break or become bent, and nerve cells may deteriorate. When the nerve cells or the hairs are damaged or missing, electrical signals aren’t transmitted as efficiently to the brain and hearing loss occurs, according to the site.

Ear infection and abnormal bone growths or tumors of the outer or middle ear also can cause hearing loss, as may a ruptured eardrum.

Aging, exposure to loud noises, heredity, some medications (some antibiotics and high doses of aspirin, for example) and some illnesses that result in a high fever all are risk factors for hearing loss.

Grant has been to countless noisy events, such as NASCAR races, throughout his life, but most of the time he wore ear plugs, he said.

“I don’t think it’s genetic. I just think it’s one of those things I was pre-disposed to,” he said.

Hearing-loss treatment can range from removing excess earwax to hearing aids to cochlear implants.

Grant wants to treat his hearing loss now, before it gets worse and he needs a larger, more cumbersome device. He hopes the difference he experiences with his new hearing devices will be akin to getting glasses for the first time n a wonderful clarity.

While loss of hearing due to aging is, for most people, inevitable, there are some precautions people can take. For example, wear earmuffs or earplugs if in a noisy workplace; avoid extremely loud music or loud recreational activities like riding a snowmobile; and have hearing tests regularly.

Grant said he has a physical every year, but his doctors never checked his hearing. He recommends that others start adding it to their yearly exams.

“I think it’s something that everybody should do,” he said, like having their eyes or blood pressure checked.

Yes, hearing devices can be expensive n Israel said they usually run about $6,500 n but Grant said “The way I look at it, what price do you put on your hearing?”

Grant said he finally decided to invest in the devices in hopes of improving his personal life n no more annoying the wife with a constant “eh?” following her every comment. But he feels certain they will positively impact his professional life, as well. After all, in the journalism business, one has to be able to hear to successfully to cover meetings and do interviews.

According to the Self Help for Hard of Hearing People Web site at www.hearingloss.org, one in every 10 (28 million) Americans has hearing loss, and while the vast majority of Americans n 95 percent n with hearing loss could be successfully treated with hearing aids, only 22 percent use them.

“Get over the vanity thing,” Grant said. “Pride be damned.”

Otherwise, he added, “You’re just going to end up vain and deaf.”

By Ashley McKnight-Taylor
http://www.suffolknewsherald.com/articles/2006/05/21/news/news2.txt