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YOU AT YOUR BEST | nwAdg.cOm/YOUATYOURBEST JULY - ThE 5 SEnSES | SATURdAY, JUnE 24, 2017 | 17 www.innisfreeseniorliving.com 300 Innisfree Circle • Rogers, AR Innisfree... the Difference Between Retirement and RETIREMENT LIVING! Call Pam and come home to the shine today! 479-636-7363 Innisfree happily introduces Josh Hogg our Activity Director! Innisfree... Where the Sun always shines thru our faces! By SaraH HaNey NWa Democrat-Gazette Our sense of hearing allows us to com- municate with one another by receiving sounds and interpreting speech. Hearing helps with collecting information that can be vital to survival. If a train is approach- ing, our sense of hearing can alert us to the danger and enable us to get out of harm's way. Hearing is often considered the most important sense for humans. There are sev- eral qualities our hearing system will pick up when working effectively. We can sense where a sound is coming from (location), its pitch, and its loudness. Our hearing system has the ability to separate complex sounds into tones or frequencies allowing us to follow different voices or instruments as we listen to conversations or to music. In the United States, one in eight people (13 percent, or 30 million) aged 12 years or older has hearing loss in both ears, based on standard hearing examinations. Hearing loss (also known as hearing impairment) is the partial or total inability to hear. There are four commonly recognized categories of hearing loss which include: Mild hearing loss People who suffer from mild hearing loss have some diffi culties keeping up with conversations, especially in noisy sur- roundings. The most quiet sounds, on av- erage, a person with mild hearing loss can hear are between 25 and 40 dB. Moderate hearing loss People who suffer from moderate hear- ing loss have diffi culty keeping up with conversations when not using a hearing aid. The most quiet sounds, on average, a person with moderate hearing loss can hear are between 40 and 70 dB. Severe hearing loss People who suffer from severe hear- ing loss will benefi t from powerful hear- ing aids, but often they rely heavily on lip-reading even when they are using hear- ing aids. Some also use sign language. The most quiet sounds, on average, a person with severe hearing loss can hear are be- tween 70 and 95 dB. Profound hearing loss People who suffer from profound hear- ing loss are very hard of hearing and rely mostly on lip-reading and/or sign language. The most quiet sounds, on average, a per- son with profound hearing loss can hear are from 95 dB or more. There are three main types of hearing loss that fi t within the four categories: con- ductive hearing loss, sensorineural hearing loss, and mixed hearing loss. Conductive hearing loss involves problems conducting sound waves along the route through the outer ear, eardrum, or middle ear. The root cause of sensorineural hearing loss lies in the inner ear, sensory organ, or vestibulo- cochlear nerve. Mixed hearing loss is the combination of both conductive and senso- rineural hearing losses. Hearing loss may be caused by various factors including: infections, exposure to noise, genetics, aging, birth complications, trauma to the ear, toxins, and some med- ications. Chronic ear infections are also a common source of hearing loss. Some hearing loss can be prevented by: • Immunization • Proper care during pregnancy • Avoiding loud noise • Avoiding use of certain medications Identifying hearing loss early and treat- ing it is important, especially in children. Hearing aids, sign language, lip-reading, and cochlear implants are all effective aids of hearing loss or impairment. If you sus- pect you have a hearing impairment, it is vital to speak with an audiologist. Audiolo- gists are healthcare professionals specializ- ing in identifying, diagnosing, treating, and monitoring disorders of the auditory and vestibular system portions of the ear. Hearing THE SENSE OF