Many scientific studies have confirmed the negative impacts of hearing loss: depression, anxiety and social isolation. There are positive impacts associated with hearing solutions, as well. A Better Hearing Institute (BHI) study1 supplies overwhelming data about how much of a difference hearing devices can make. The study surveyed more than 2,000 hearing loss patients who use devices to enhance the sense of sound. Of the sample group, 82% of patients indicated they would recommend hearing devices to their friends, and 70% reported an improved ability to communicate. The data also shows more than four out of five people who use a device to hear better are satisfied with their solution. “This survey clearly reveals how dramatically people’s lives can improve with the use of hearing devices, ,” BHI Executive Director Sergei Kochkin, Ph.D., said.

"In this comprehensive study of more than 2,000 hearing device users, we looked at 14 specific quality-of-life issues and found today’s hearing devices are a tremendous asset to people with even mild hearing loss who want to remain active and socially engaged throughout their lives.” The study also concluded up to a third of patients saw improvements in their romance, sense of humor, mental, emotional and physical health. Further, roughly 40% noted improvements in their sense of safety, self-confidence, feelings about self, sense of independence and work relationships. These results are the most significant of their kind because they show a clear potential solution to many of the draining feelings patients with hearing loss suffer. Many positive responses are attributed to changing technology that has led to smaller and less visible hearing devices, resulting in decreased societal stigma associated with wearing devices in day-to-day life. New devices are more intelligent and offer many improvements over older generation models. BHI’s Kochkin believes the first step to preserving your future enjoyment in life is to make an appointment with a hearing health professional and get your hearing checked. 1Better Hearing Institute. (n.d.). Retrieved from: https://betterhearing.org/press/news/Customer_satisfaction_hearing_aids_pr08292011.cfm. Quoted in BHI Survey: Hearing Aids Help Majority of Users to Regain Quality of Life via the Hearing Review. (2011). Retrieved from: https://www.hearingreview.com/ hearing-products/hearing-aids/bhi-survey-hearing-aids-help-majority-of-users-to-regain-quality-of-life

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The process of hearing occurs not just in the ears, but in the brain as well. The ears channel soundwaves and convert them to vibrations, which are transmitted to the brain via the auditory nerve for interpretation.2 According to a recent study by the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, senior patients were able to improve speech recognition by exercising their brains with computerized games. Throughout the study, elderly patients with hearing loss used a closed-loop (CL) computer audio game that had them listen for subtle changes in sound to solve puzzles. At the end of the eight weeks, those in the CL group correctly identified 25% more words in background noise than those in the control group, whose video game did not include sound cues for the puzzles. This is significant in the hearing industry as it may change the way audiologists work with their patients. There are a number of brain training programs already on the market that some specialists have implemented in their patient care, including Listening and Communication Enhancement (LACE), clEARWorks4EARs and Angel Sound. 2NIDCD. (2020, December 14). Age-related hearing loss. Retrieved March 19, 2021, from https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/age-related-hearing-loss

The game of golf is filled with hazards. Water, bunkers and sand traps can all wreak havoc on your game. Though another important factor that can affect your final score is your hearing. Not only based on your ability to hear well out of both ears, but in the sound of your swing, too.

Studies have shown that you can experience driver-induced hearing loss if the noise level generated by your golf club thwacking your ball exceeds 116 dBA3. This is mostly in reference to thin-faced titanium drivers, going back to an origin study in 20094 that profiled a 55-year-old man who developed tinnitus and hearing loss in his right ear, golfing three days a week, for 18-months. Damaging your hearing is not ideal, of course, but the decibel-swing danger is directly woven into how you play the game of golf, as well. Your hearing needs to be in check to pay close attention to the sound made when the clubhead comes into contact with the ball, so that you can control your shot better, in terms of distance and accuracy. Hearing the tone produced by the club striking the ball can help the golfer judge how well the ball was hit, and allow them to make any necessary adjustments for the next swing. Changes in tone and volume indicate a different swing of the club; by paying close attention to both the feel of the club making contact with the ball, and the sound produced, golfers will naturally play a better game over time. Regular hearing evaluations by a qualified audiologist are a good idea for avid golfers. The earlier hearing loss is detected, the more options you have for treatment and the better your odds for success. 3Zhao, F., Bardsley, B. (2014). Real-ear acoustical characteristics of impulse sound generated by golf drivers and the estimated risk to hearing: a cross-sectional study. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3902203/ 4Buchanan, M. A. (2009). Is Golf Bad for Your Hearing? https://www.bmj.com/content/337/bmj.a2835

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