A moment lacking clarity
Golf can be a very enjoyable social sport to most people, but when you have difficulty understanding conversation in a small group or have trouble understanding speech while there is wind noise on the course or in the golf cart, you might be experiencing a Sound Void™. Sound Voids are moments that lack clarity or understanding. Do you hear someone say “use the __ iron” but not sure if someone is saying nine or five? Do you find yourself saying, “I hear OK, but I have trouble understanding everything in the sentence that is said”? Hearing clearly when there’s background noise can be especially difficult for someone with hearing loss, as can be trying to explain your hearing situation. Some people find it so difficult that they give up going into social environments they enjoyed in the past.
The third most common health problem
Hearing loss is the third most common health problem in the U.S. Although hearing problems are commonly associated with the aging process, they affect all age groups. Other causes include hereditary factors, noise exposure, and certain medication. More than half of the people in the U.S. with a hearing impairment are under the age of 65, including 6 million people between the ages of 18 and 44, and more than 14 million are school-age children.
A long, slow progression
It’s common for people to be unaware of their hearing loss due to the gradual nature of its progression. As hearing slowly declines, an individual develops compensation strategies without even realizing it, and most people don’t realize they’re missing out on conversation. Often, it’s friends or loved ones trying to communicate with the individual who are more aware of the situation. Sometimes it takes years before sufferers seek professional help. Dr. Dana Luzon, Au.D., of Audiology and Hearing Aids of the Palm Beaches explains “enjoyment of social activities tends to decline as the hearing impaired person becomes less engaged because of their struggle to hear clearly, but there is help out there!” There is no need to stop golfing because of a hearing loss, the latest hearing devices have wind noise reduction, background noise reduction and speech enhancement to give you the comfort and clarity of hearing comfortably in the environments you enjoy. Stay in the game! Call your AudigyCertified™ provider today to schedule a consultation.
