Salt Lake Telegram | 1936-12-18 | Page 6 | You and Your Health

You rand Yo uti HealtH U FISHBEIN J By MORRIS EdMor Journal of the American Medical Association and ed of t Health Magazine Magazina Hardness of hearing in n old age may be of two kinds Th The distinction distinction distinction dis dis- dis- dis depends on whether the e changes that have tak taken n place inthe In Inthe Inthe the tissues affect the middle orthe orthe or orthe the internal ear S As I have a ready already pointed o out Jt the ear and the organs Involved in hearing actually I include three parts The external ear which is everything outside the eardrum the middle ear which includes the eardrum and certain little Jones bones ones that help transmit vibrations from the inner side of the ear to the internal ear and finally the very fine tine organs and nerve endings endings end end- ings lags associated with the sense of hearing Hardness of hearing usually appears appears appears ap ap- ap- ap pears between 55 and 65 years of age one of the first signs being lessened ability to hear sounds inthe inthe in inthe the upper tones P Perhaps haps the reason that this is the first symptom symptom tom torn is that the human being ordinarily ordinarily ordinarily makes little use of his sense o of hearing in catching the very high tones That form of hardness of hearing hearing bearing hear bear ing in which the small bones in involved involved involved in- in become locked by changes which lake take place in the tissues is called Persons thus afflicted hear better over the telephone telephone telephone tele tele- phone or with a a. hearing bearing device because in this condition the conduction of sound through bone is improved while that by air is InsL There are many different theories theories the the- ories ones as to o the cause of this condition condition con con- but none of them has yet been established as the certain invariable cause Almost all observers observers observers ob- ob servers are convinced however that heredity and the constitution of the person involved are concerned concerned con con- concerned in some manner n since this type of hardness of hearing is apt to occur in families There also is some belief that the digestion and diet of the victim victim vic vie tim in some way may be related to development of the trouble At the same time it should be pointed out that difficulties with digestion and deficiencies in vitamins vitamins vitamins vita vita- mins and mineral salts cause a general lowering of the condition of the body and that any method of treatment that will improve nutrition of the tissues as a whole and stimulate them to activity is likely to improve their function- function Ing lag The sense of hearing nearing Is one of those these most susceptible to the psychology psychology psychology of suggestion For that reason persons who are hard of hearing frequently try new treatments treatments treatments treat treat- ments and feel that they have been benefited benefit d only to discover later that the thC bene benefit lt was almost I wholly imaginary Added attention at a time when one is endeavoring endeavoring- to bear hear will enable him hini t to hear many things which may be missed