Do you find yourself struggling to hear? Maybe you can hear someone talking to you, but it sounds muffled or like everyone around you is mumbling. Are women’s and children’s voices harder to understand? Perhaps you’ve noticed (or you’ve been told) you have the television volume up too loud. Maybe you struggle to understand people in a noisy environment. Do you hear ringing, crickets or roaring sounds in your ears? These are all signs of possible hearing loss.
Most adults will suffer at least a little bit of age-related hearing loss as they get older. Many people also know that loud noises can cause hearing loss over time.
If you are ready to have your hearing checked, ask your provider for information about the services offered at UofL Physicians – Hearing & Balance or contact us directly at 502-583-3687.
But did you know that some chemotherapy drugs can also have hearing loss as a side effect?
These same drugs can also cause ringing in your ears, or tinnitus. There are approximately 16 million cancer survivors in the United States. More than half of them may suffer from treatment related, or ototoxic, hearing loss and/or tinnitus.
Communication is crucial to living your best life as you journey through your cancer treatment and beyond. You want to be able to hear, listen, and understand your family, friends and health care providers so that you feel connected to your village.
Whether you had some hearing loss before treating cancer, or it has been caused or made worse by chemotherapy, UofL Physicians – Hearing & Balance is available to help you, both during and after your treatments.
We offer hearing tests, hearing aids and other devices, and counseling on strategies to help you hear better. Watch for a free Aural Rehabilitation group meeting coming soon to the UofL Brown Cancer Center. This will be a place where you can learn about communication strategies, ask questions, and meet people in a similar situation.
Better hearing can improve your quality of life, no matter where you are on your journey.
