"When I did eventually get the test, I found out what was really happening to me. I learned that a build-up of earwax ( don't use Q-tips!) had immobilized one of my eardrums completely. After the somewhat uncomfortable removal, the test was rerun. I do have some hearing loss, which isn't unusual at 72, but the audiologist feels I'm years away from needing hearing aids."
"Because we had a good relationship, I felt comfortable pointing out that when his back was turned he couldn't hear me, or that he was reading my lips, not looking at me. Over time, it got so bad I had to stop sharing confidential information with him verbally-it wasn't very confidential if I had to shout loud enough for the whole store to hear."
Earwax buildup can immobilize an eardrum and produce hearing loss that mimics age-related decline, and professional removal can restore hearing. Insurance and scheduling delays can postpone diagnostic testing for over a year. Q-tips can worsen earwax problems and should be avoided. Mild, age-related hearing loss remains common at older ages, but audiologists may determine hearing aids are not immediately necessary. Untreated hearing loss can force lip-reading, shouting, confidentiality breaches, and social friction when individuals refuse to acknowledge the problem. Family members sometimes attempt dramatic demonstrations to make hearing decline apparent.
Read at Slate Magazine
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