Did You Miss our October 19th Presentation?
I am a member of the Saddlebrooke Hearing Discussion Group. Our group invited Dr. Julie Jeon, who is an Associate Clinical Professor of Audiology at the University of Arizona. to give a presentation to our community on October 19, 2026. If you were unable to attend, you missed out on a good presentation.
Dr Jeon shared some interesting statistics on hearing loss. One in three people between the ages of 65 and 74 suffer from hearing loss. One half of people over age 75 have hearing loss. It’s not surprising that we see a lot of hearing aids in SaddleBrooke! Hearing loss is the third most common chronic condition after heart disease and arthritis.
Dr. Jeon indicated that you should see a hearing health care provider if you notice any changes in your hearing. This may include voices that sound muffled, asking people to repeat themselves and finding yourself constantly turning the volume up on the TV. A few years ago, one of the audiology students indicated that people tend to wait 7 years to have their hearing checked after they first notice hearing difficulty. Delaying treatment for hearing loss increases the risks of cognitive decline, depression and social isolation. If you would like to better understand what hearing loss is like check out the Hearing Loss Simulator at this link: https://www.starkeyhearingnc.com/hearing/hearing-loss-simulator/
According to Dr. Jeon Helen Keller felt that deafness is much worse than blindness because blindness cuts people off from things, while deafness cuts people off from people. I find that to be true as my profound hearing loss limits my participation in social gatherings involving a large group, loud music or live performances.
Dr. Jeon shared five key messages regarding hearing best practices. The first is to understand your hearing by starting with a complete hearing evaluation. She indicated that you should see an otolaryngologist (ENT) at least once for a medical evaluation of your hearing loss. The second is to set personal hearing goals by Identifying the everyday situations in which you want to hear better and choose hearing aids and ongoing support that fit your goals and budget. The third is to check the fitting and benefit.by asking about real-ear measurements and progress toward your goals. Fourth, you should keep realistic expectations. Remember hearing aids help, but do not restore normal hearing. Finally plan ongoing care to address progress towards your goals and address changing needs
Our group meets on the 2nd Friday of every month at 10 AM in the Catalina Room next to the HOA2 Pro Shop. We typically have one or more Doctor of Audiology students from the University of Arizona in attendance who are happy to answer your questions. If you have questions about this article, would like a copy of the slides from the October 19th presentation or would like to have your email added to our distribution list, contact me at tgaule@outlook.com.