Overcoming Hearing Aid Fears

Annotation "An informative, easy-to-use guide that explains the faith & facts & dispels misconception about hearing aids."

In Baby Boomers and Hearing Loss, audiologist John Burkey shows readers how they can continue to enjoy youthful living, regardless of whether their hearing abilities are undiminished or severely compromised. In a reassuring and straightforward style, Burkey explains the typical causes of hearing loss, from genetic factors to years of exposure to loud noises, and demystifies the sometimes confusing results of a hearing test. Fortunately, new technologies and advances in medicine have made it easier to detect signs of initial hearing loss and to prevent it from becoming a serious problem. For those who have already sustained some damage, the author suggests ways to manage daily activities by using a range of techniques, equipment, and medical procedures. His suggestions include minor changes, such as using a vibrating alarm clock rather than one that is sound-based. More dramatic but often highly effective options, including reconstructive surgery, cochlear implants, and bone-anchored hearing aids, are also described. In his previous award-winning book, Overcoming Hearing Aid Fears: The Road to Better Hearing, Burkey addressed common fears, concerns, and misconceptions that people have about choosing and using hearing aids. In this second indispensable volume, he offers a comprehensive guide on how to cope with and prevent hearing impairment. For a generation that refuses to slow down or quietly accept limitations, this book is essential reading.

Although millions of people could use good advice about hearing loss, it turns out that asking is difficult, and accurate advice is hard to come by. This book directly addresses the problem: it provides useful, first-hand advice from people who have experienced hearing loss themselves, along with accurate treatment information from a highly experienced audiologist. Prompted to write this book by a patient who thought the reality of hearing loss and its associated problems could only be truly understood by someone with personal experience, audiologist John M. Burkey gathered information from his own patients and their spouses. The Hearing-Loss Guide presents their candid recommendations for anyone who suffers hearing loss, as well as families, friends, and co-workers. The author opens with chapters on the basics of hearing loss, hearing aids and other devices, and treatments. He then turns to his patients, who discuss coping with hearing loss, the real-life consequences of losing hearing, how to get help, adapting to a hearing aid, and other useful topics. Family members also offer valuable advice. A resource guide completes this indispensable volume.

The loss of hearing - be it gradual or acute, mild or severe, present since birth or acquired in older age - can have significant effects on one's communication abilities, quality of life, social participation, and health. Despite this, many people with hearing loss do not seek or receive hearing health care. The reasons are numerous, complex, and often interconnected. For some, hearing health care is not affordable. For others, the appropriate services are difficult to access, or individuals do not know how or where to access them. Others may not want to deal with the stigma that they and society may associate with needing hearing health care and obtaining that care. Still others do not recognize they need hearing health care, as hearing loss is an invisible health condition that often worsens gradually over time. In the United States, an estimated 30 million individuals (12.7 percent of Americans ages 12 years or older) have hearing loss. Globally, hearing loss has been identified as the fifth leading cause of years lived with disability. Successful hearing health care enables individuals with hearing loss to have the freedom to communicate in their environments in ways that are culturally appropriate and that preserve their dignity and function. Hearing Health Care for Adults focuses on improving the accessibility and affordability of hearing health care for adults of all ages. This study examines the hearing health care system, with a focus on non-surgical technologies and services, and offers recommendations for improving access to, the affordability of, and the quality of hearing health care for adults of all ages.

"Includes emotions surrounding hearing loss, where and how to find help, how to map an audiogram, function and selection of hearing aids and why some people reject them. Other topics include cochlear implants, Meniere's disease, tinnitus, aging, listening skills, wireless assistive technology and assistive technology products"--Provided by publisher.

This is the first book written and published that is dedicated solely to hearing loss in older adulthood and, importantly, the processes involved in serving the special needs of older adults who are hearing impaired. It is a concise book, but provides important information for those entering many fields that have as their intent to serve older adults either as a supplement to other texts on communication disorders in aging, or as a concise primary text.

Although millions of people could use good advice about hearing loss, it turns out that asking is difficult, and accurate advice is hard to come by. This book directly addresses the problem: it provides useful, first-hand advice from people who have experienced hearing loss themselves, along with accurate treatment information from a highly experienced audiologist. Prompted to write this book by a patient who thought the reality of hearing loss and its associated problems could only be truly understood by someone with personal experience, audiologist John M. Burkey gathered information from his own patients and their spouses. The Hearing-Loss Guide presents their candid recommendations for anyone who suffers hearing loss, as well as families, friends, and co-workers. The author opens with chapters on the basics of hearing loss, hearing aids and other devices, and treatments. He then turns to his patients, who discuss coping with hearing loss, the real-life consequences of losing hearing, how to get help, adapting to a hearing aid, and other useful topics. Family members also offer valuable advice. A resource guide completes this indispensable volume.