Hearing is Living; Don't Deprive Yourself

Experts from Total Hearing Care in Monroe Township will give a FREE educational program on hearing, hearing loss and the importance of baseline hearing testing. In addition to the program, a free hearing screening will be offered to all attendees.  The Program is scheduled for November 30, 2011 from 6:30 to 8:45 p.m. in the Octagonal Program Room off the Children's Department (Program Room 2).  They will have literature and information to give out, so registration is recommended so they can be sure to have enough to go around.
In the literature they sent ahead of the program, they included a few articles of interest.  Did you know that symptoms of untreated hearing loss can mimic symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease?  In fact, a 1996 study of memory disorders by the University of South Florida found that 94 percent of respondents suspected of having memory disorder actually suffered from untreated hearing loss.  The study found strong evidence that hearing instrument use, combined with effective follow-up care, helped alleviate many of the symptoms commonly attributed to Alzheimer's Disease.  Some of the symptoms that are present in both conditions are depression, anxiety, feelings of isolation or disorientation; reduced communication ability; reduced cognitive input; reduced mental scores; inappropriate psychosocial responses; denial, defensiveness and negativity and distrust and paranoia or distrust of other's motives. 

Another article on hearing describes auditory deprivation that can occur if a hearing loss goes untreated for too long.  Auditory deprivation is a decrease in an ear's ability to understand speech clearly and a crucial part of every hearing exam involves measurement of word discrimination.  It is unclear whether auditory deprivation is reversible, so it is important to detect hearing loss in the early stages so that you can preserve word clarity with the use of hearing aids.  the research supports the "use it or lose it" theory. 

Come to the library on November 30th to hear about the latest findings in audiology research and get a FREE individual hearing screening, either at the end of the program or later in their Monroe offices.