��

health

&h

ealing

• V

olu

me

17

Nu

mb

er

3

Stephanie Sjoblad, AuD

By Stephanie Sjoblad, AuD, Clinic Director UNC Hearing & Communication Center (UNC-HCC)

Do you want to stay active? Vibrant? Socially engaged? Professionally successful? I assume you do. If you are like many baby boomers, you have rocked your way

through your fair share of concerts, night clubs and other noisy recreational activities. You have been enjoying all life has to offer and spent decades doing it. And it’s been loud.

Now you notice you are having some difficulty hearing the conversation around the table at restaurants or dinner parties. You may even miss things in the conference room at work or on conference calls. Your enthusiastic lifestyle has been hard on your ears and you just don’t hear as well as you wish. Taking steps to address your hearing loss is one of the best things you can do to improve your quality of life and keep up a youthful pace.

The evidence is growing—there is a strong connec-tion between hearing loss, health, and quality of life. Doing something about your hearing loss sooner, rather than later, may benefit you.

Improve your earning potential. Hearing your best at work helps you do your best. One study found that using hearing aids reduced the risk of income loss by 90 to 100 percent for those with milder hearing loss, and from 65 to 77 percent for those with moderate to severe hearing loss. People with hearing loss who wear hearing aids are more likely to be employed than their peers who don’t.

Open the door to greater intimacy. Don’t miss those sweet nothings. Feeling emotionally close to your partner is one of the most satisfying parts of any intimate relationship. But it relies on good communication. Unaddressed hearing loss can make even the most loving partner seem distant or unresponsive. Fortunately, research shows that using hearing aids can help improve interpersonal relationships – including greater intimacy.

Reduce stress and boost your mood. People with un-treated hearing loss often feel angry, frustrated, anxious, isolated, and depressed. But research shows that when they use hearing aids, their mental health often rallies. Many regain emotional stability, become more socially engaged, feel

a greater sense of safety and independence, and see a general improvement in their overall quality of life.

Bolster your self-confidence. An important perk of using hearing aids can be enhanced emotional well-being. Research shows that when people with hearing loss use hearing aids, many feel more in control of their lives and less self-critical. Another study found that the majority of people with mild hearing loss felt better about themselves and life overall as a result of using hearing aids.

Improve cognitive functioning. Studies from Johns Hopkins linked hearing loss with accelerated cognitive de-cline in older adults and found that seniors with hearing loss are significantly more likely to develop dementia over time. Additional studies found that many people with hearing loss report improvements in their cognitive skills with the use of hearing aids.*

HEARInG AIDS: PowERfuL REHABILItAtIon tooLS

While we can’t cure hearing loss, most people can do surprisingly well with today’s sophisticated digital technol-ogy, whether one has a mild loss or a very significant hearing loss. However, there are many misconceptions about hearing aids. One size does not fit all. Hearing aids are not consumer electronic devices, but tools of a more complex audiologic rehabilitation process. Hearing loss diagnosis and treatment should be provided by a licensed audiologist who is current in the research and hearing treatment methodologies.

I have long-time personal involvement with the issue of hearing loss. I grew up with hearing loss and have worn hear-ing aids since the age of six. Prior to becoming an audiologist 17 years ago, I too was lured to the mall by the promise of better hearing. This experience led me to pursue a doctoral degree in audiology and take the lead in establishing the UNC-Hearing & Communication Center.

kEYS to SuCCESSfuL HEARInG AID tEStInG AnD fIttInG

Let me share with you the five key reasons that UNC-HCC for the past ten years has had less than one percent of our patients return hearing aids after the evaluation period.

We measure loudness discomfort levels (LDLs) for each patient. Over 30 years of research supports the inclusion

of patient specific LDLs during hearing aid fitting. We also conduct speech-in-noise testing to better understand how the patient’s brain processes sound in more complex listening environments. These and other tests enable us to develop a comprehensive treatment plan with better outcomes.

We offer multiple hearing aid manufacturers and styles, as no one device is right for everyone. Our Lifestyle Assess-ment combined with above mentioned objective testing enables us to see the whole picture. We then can recommend the option to best meet these needs.

We provide transparency in pricing with an option for every budget. Unbundled billing lowers the upfront cost of hearing aids and has enabled more people to seek help. We don’t offer $500 off coupons as we always offer the lowest hearing aid price. The UNC-HCC also receives no manufac-turer funded marketing, equipment or incentives.

We utilize Real Ear Probe Microphone Measurements to customize the fit for the individual patient’s ear. Unfortu-nately, very few clinics take the time to use these measure-ments. We go beyond adequate and aim for an optimal fit with every patient we see.

We offer Better Hearing workshops. Audiological rehabilitation and auditory training are often under-utilized aspects of better hearing. We take the time to provide our patients with the tools to maximize their communication and bridge the gap between the role of the hearing aids and the role of the brain. We are committed to helping patients reach their maximum hearing potential. h&h

Dr. Sjoblad (pronounced SHOW-BLAD) is Clinic Director of the UNC Hearing and Communication Center, at 6015 Farrington Road, Suite 103, Chapel Hill. She grew up as one of three siblings with congenital hearing loss and has worn hearing aids since the age of six. She received a cochlear implant (CI) in 2009, and now enjoys bimodal hearing, with her CI on one ear and hearing aid on the other. A UNC faculty member for nearly 15 years, she is board certified with the American Board of Audiology and is a Fellow in the Ameri-can Academy of Audiology. She earned her doctorate in audiology from the University of Florida in 2000.

* Retrieved October 10, 2014, from http://www.betterhearing.org/news/forever-young-5-ways-treating-hearing-loss-can-revital-ize-your-life.

u n C H E A R I n G A n D C o M M u n I C A t I o n C E n t E R

Remain forever young:

Revitalize Your Hearing and Your Life

“The evidence is growing— there is a strong

connection between hearing loss, health, and

quality of life.”

for more information, contact: UNC HEARING AND COMMUNICATION CENTER

�0�� farrington Road, Suite �0� Chapel Hill, nC �7��7

telephone: (9�9) �9�-7980 www.med.unc.edu/ahs/sphs/hcc

Originally published in Health & Healing in the Triangle, Vol. 17, no. 3, health & healing, inc., Chapel hill, nC, publishers. Reprinted with permission.