Hearing loss is one of those maladies that isn’t visible. If you have a vision problem, you normally know that there is a problem. If your knee pops out of joint (as mine does from time to time with all of my knee injury history), you might realize that your Orthopedic doc needs some visit time. Hearing loss is very undetectable. It is only something that your family members and others close to you will know. Those who live alone do not realize it is as bad as it is. Many a patient has come into our office after all hope of hiding the issue has come to naught.

I had a patient once who complained that his physician and counselor would not see him anymore if he didn’t get help with his hearing. He was a really nice guy but I could see the problem and three seconds later, I could smell the problem. It was late in his monthly cycle of not taking a bath. He was a significant loner who didn’t see the need for hygiene in his current state of being alone. Make sure that you listen to your family if they tell you of your hearing loss. It is so sad to talk to patients who don’t have family to tell them of their problem.