A person with hearing loss often has difficulty understanding certain words. When having a conversation, one may understand most of the sentence but misunderstand one or two words. One misinterpreted word can throw off the entire context of the sentence.

For example: You say “He put a cap on his head to hide from the sun,” but your loved one heard “He put a cat on his head to hide from the sun.” That one misunderstood word has changed the entire context and tone of the sentence. Family members may find it funny when their loved ones with hearing loss misinterpret certain words, but it can get very frustrating for the person with hearing loss.

Commonly, the high frequency sounds in words, such as “f”, “th”, “k” and “t”, start to diminish before the low frequency sounds of consonants do.  Although there are other types of hearing loss, the most common type of hearing loss is a high frequency hearing loss. High frequency hearing loss tends to effect individuals first.

So, if you find that your loved one is misinterpreting certain words, encourage them to call Lemme Audiology Associates at (814) 941-7770 to schedule a hearing evaluation. Detecting and treating a hearing loss sooner than later is key to their overall wellness.

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