Hearing loss typically increases with age, and many individuals don’t realize its gradual onset until a caregiver or loved one points it out. To treat the condition early on or to establish an initial baseline, Beltone Hearing Care Centre is here to help.
“We do (tests for hearing loss), and we help a lot of (people who have) hearing loss (and require) hearing aids,” said Shella Bolivar, a registered hearing instrument practitioner at Beltone in Moose Jaw.
Bolivar has noticed that the prevalence of hearing loss varies from one location to the next, and environments involving consistently loud noises such as farms have a predictably higher incidence. She also observed the first signs of hearing loss in patients as young as 50.
Studies indicate that hearing loss is the number one modifiable risk factor for dementia, and an estimated 94 per cent correlation is believed to exist between hearing loss and dementia.
To address this, early treatment using hearing aids has demonstrated a marked improvement in patient behaviour, memory, and cognitive function. With cognitive functioning, treatment with hearing aids can boost the brain’s activity by up to 50 per cent in a single year.
Similarly, study results have indicated that 33 per cent of patients diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and treated with hearing devices were later reclassified into a less severe category.
Beltone provides an assortment of hearing aids in either a battery-operated or rechargeable format to address any level of hearing loss.
“The very common one right now is what we call RIC – receiver in the canal – (and) it’s a little bit smaller (than other variants),” she explained.
RIC models address mild to moderate degrees of hearing loss. The receiver has a different power output to operate accordingly, and comes in low-, medium-, and high-power variants.
“For someone who has severe to profound hearing loss, we usually recommend what we call the BTE, or behind the ear, which is a little bit bigger because it’s more powerful.”
No appointment is necessary to stop in. If any major complications are discovered, the team will forward the concern to your family doctor.
It’s important to establish a baseline early, as several medical complications such as diabetes, tinnitus, hypertension, and dementia are associated with the loss of hearing. As is the case with many medical conditions, early diagnosis and treatment is always the best option.
Many of Bolivar’s patients hadn’t noticed their own loss of hearing. She said it’s because the process is gradual, and many people feel they can adjust to it.
“People just get used to the way they hear, and they don’t realize they have hearing loss,” she said, adding that loved ones and primary caregivers are usually the ones to notice the decline.
When clients take the free hearing test offered at Beltone, the results are explained, and an in-house trial demonstrates the difference a new set of hearing aids can make.
Beltone also offers custom-built ear protection that takes the shape of your individual ear canal. To complete the customization, customers can choose up to three colours that can be blended.
To make the custom earplugs, technicians first make an exact impression of your ear canal. This is done using a compound resembling Play-Doh.
These devices come highly recommended for anyone consistently experiencing a noisy environment, and for swimmers, a floating variant is available.
Bolivar graduated from George Brown College in Toronto as a Hearing Instrument Specialist. After working in the industry for four years, she moved from Newfoundland to Moose Jaw. She finds joy in seeing the expression her patients give when they regain their sense of hearing.
“We actually have a few clients who will get teary eyed… (when) they hear the voice of their loved one (once again).”
Bolivar recommends a hearing test once every year or testing no more than three years apart.
To learn more or to book a hearing test, Beltone Hearing Care Centre can be reached at 306-808-1854 and is located at 81 Athabasca Street West.
To contact Shella Bolivar, call 306-693-4123 or email her at [email protected].
For more information about the company, visit BeltoneCan.com.
