“Gampa, is this a shark tooth?” 

From the water’s edge where she was building sandcastles with their grandchildren, Nancy watched with dismay as her husband continued his stroll down the beach, unaware that their grandson was calling him. 

“Grandpa…” their grandson tried again. Unsuccessful in his attempt to gain his grandfather’s attention, the boy grabbed his plastic shovel and resumed digging.

Nancy’s husband had been gradually losing his hearing for years. She nagged, cajoled and begged him to schedule a hearing test, but to no avail. Whether it was his pride or the stigma and cost of wearing hearing aids, she didn’t know. Nancy resorted to teaching her grandchildren to face their grandpa and speak to him with an “outside voice.” They understandably forgot.

This scene is a familiar one, which played out in my own family. My dad, who was an incredible and gifted storyteller, dearly loved his five grandchildren and was genuinely interested in what they had to share or ask. Unfortunately, he missed conversations and storytelling because he was hard of hearing. Watching our children turn away when my dad failed to acknowledge their questions or comments disheartened me. He wasn’t ignoring his grandchildren; he simply didn’t hear them. While I ran interference whenever possible, I couldn’t always be present to translate. To this day, I wonder how many meaningful conversations ended before they ever got started because my dad refused to wear hearing aids.

What causes hearing loss?

One-third of seniors over the age of sixty suffer from presbycusis, or hearing loss due to age. This is caused by damage to the hair cells of the inner ear, which affects our ability to understand high frequencies, such as our grandchildren’s voices. Other causes of hearing loss include exposure to loud noises such as machinery, diabetes, poor circulation, ruptured eardrums, medication, and the buildup of earwax or fluid. Fifty percent of seniors over the age of seventy-five experience hearing loss.

Hearing loss due to age is gradual and often goes undetected by the individual; therefore, annual hearing tests are recommended for anyone over sixty. Often our first clue that we are having difficulty hearing is when our friends and family make comments.

What are signs of hearing loss?

According to the National Institute on Aging, signs of hearing loss include the following:

• Increased television volume.
• Inability to hear soft or high-pitched voices (such as the voices of children).
• Inability to hear conversations in a room with loud background noise, such as a restaurant or church hall.
• Inability to keep up with a conversation between two or more people.
• Difficulty talking on the phone.
• Missed words and phrases.
• Asking people to repeat themselves (and wondering why they are mumbling).
• Needing visual cues.
• Lip-reading.
• Tinnitus (ringing, buzzing, clicking or a rushing noise in one or both ears).
• Ear fullness or pressure.

What is the danger of ignoring hearing loss?

Research shows that untreated hearing loss results in a greater risk of cognitive decline and dementia because of the lack of stimulation to the brain. Seniors with hearing loss understandably withdraw from having meaningful conversations and as a result become isolated, anxious, frustrated and depressed. Treated hearing loss increases our quality of life as we age; untreated hearing loss decreases it.

Why is this topic important?

As Christian grandparents, we are called to share our faith in Jesus to the next generation. This begins with developing a strong and trusting relationship with our grandchildren, one that is built on an exchange of ideas and interests shared through conversations. When we suffer from untreated hearing loss, our relationship with our grandchildren is affected.

If you or someone you know is struggling to hear their precious grandchildren’s voices, please encourage them to make an appointment with their primary care physician, an otolaryngologist (ENT) or audiologist. Hearing aids aren’t the stigma they once were. They are now state-of-the-art digital microcomputers that come in various styles (behind the ear or in the canal), which can be paired with your Smartphone, Bluetooth and Tablet. 

Hearing aids are an investment… an investment in our quality of life and an investment in our grandchildren.

Links to Information:

Seniors and Hearing Loss – The American Academy of Audiology

Hearing Loss: A Common Problem for Older Adults | National Institute on Aging (nih.gov)

Author’s Thanks: 

A special thanks to my dear friend and audiologist, Heidi Clower, MS/CCCA, who provided research for this blog. In addition to her work with children who suffer hearing loss, Heidi is the grandmother of three precious grandchildren.