Living With Hearing Loss Four-Legged Hearing. Barbara Chase

Four-Legged Hearing

A vocational nurse for over two decades credits the help she got at home from her hearing dogs. By Barbara Chase

My sensorineural hearing loss was diagnosed when I was about 4, in 1954, well before newborn hearing screenings were commonplace. “Barbie needs to see your face when you talk, Mommy,” my sister announced one day, cluing my parents into a possible hearing problem.

I wore behind-the-ear hearing aids and relied on speech-reading, but academics were a constant challenge. Math was the most difficult because teachers often faced the chalkboard while writing and explaining equations. My family spent many hours tutoring math to me to ensure I passed.

After high school, I was employed as a nurse’s aide in a long-term care facility. Because I enjoyed working with and helping the elderly patients, I applied to vocational nursing school. I entered with strong professional references and the two instructors were aware of my hearing loss, so I felt secure.

During the last week of the six-week academic training, one instructor requested a private meeting. She had concerns about my hearing loss. “What if you’re in a situation where you could not hear a patient calling or crying out?”

Devastated, I reasoned with her, hoping she would allow me to begin clinical duty on a trial basis to prove my ability to meet their expectations. She pushed back, explaining I could be jeopardizing a patient’s life; she could lose her job. I was crushed. I ultimately chose to withdraw from this nursing school, knowing I’d be accepted to another one. I was—and graduated and passed the California State Board for licensure.

Some time later, I visited the first nursing school. The instructor remembered me and congratulated me on my achievement. We chatted amicably before she revealed that the other instructor, the one who had questioned my ability, had since resigned—due to a hearing loss she herself experienced after I withdrew. I was in disbelief! With empathy I hoped she, too, had not faced discrimination.

About halfway into my nursing career, in the 1980s, I found myself needing to rely more on speech-reading. I often felt tired and mentally overloaded in noisy environments. One of my biggest challenges was caring for my son, born in 1987. My husband, a firefighter who often worked 48- to 72-hour shifts away from home, cleverly devised a sound-activated light system to alert me when our son made noise or cried in his crib. This

Barbara Chase with her hearing dog Fallon II.

was perfect—except during power outages.

Then I saw an ad for Canine Companions for Independence (CCI), a nonprofit organization that provides service dogs for people with disabilities. I applied and was matched up with Ronnie, my first CCI hearing dog, who was followed by Fallon II a few years later. Highly trained, my canine-ear partners helped immensely at home, alerting me to many important sounds such as someone knocking on my door, the tea kettle whistling, or my phone ringing.

Gradually and for unknown reasons, my hearing loss continued to decline and I found myself avoiding noisy places. I was also no longer able to auscultate (hear) important lung sounds using a stethoscope. In 1999 I made the decision to resign to ensure quality patient care. With my skills as a nurse, I transitioned to be the primary-care provider for my aging parents-in-law and, later, my mother. I am proud that I was able to remain productive and independent, largely because of the assistance of my hearing dogs.

Barbara Chase lives in Oregon with her husband Dan. For more about Canine Companions for Independence, see cci.org.

Share your story: Tell us your hearing loss journey at editor@hhf.org.

Through its Hearing Health Initiative, MusiCares® is highlighting how important it is for live-music professionals, and their fans, to protect their most valuable asset: their hearing.

Artists and crew working on extended tours or at major music festivals are particularly at risk for hearing damage. Long hours, and repeated sonic punishment from months of working on stages with extremely powerful sound reinforcement, can take a terrible toll on hearing health—something many in the industry fail to realize.

MusiCares, a charity that provides health, financial, and rehabilitation resources to music people in times of need, has been working to educate artists and crew about the real damage that sustained exposure to high decibel level sound can exact on hearing.

First and foremost, always wear hearing protection while attending loud concerts or events. And when possible, take breaks from noisy environments to prevent ear fatigue.

“We know that 15 percent of all Americans between the ages of 20 and 69 suffer from hearing loss, and that figure doubles for the music community,” says Erica Krusen, the senior director of Health and Human Services for MusiCares.

The typical concert averages 125 decibels (dB), according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). For context, a whisper is around 10 dB while normal conversation is 60 dB. Add in that most concerts can run for hours—even longer with festivals—and the risk becomes even greater.

Share your story: Tell us your hearing loss journey at editor@hhf.org.

Here are three simple tips artists, industry workers, and fans should take to protect their hearing so they can keep the music playing for a long time.

Always Protect

First and foremost, always wear hearing protection while attending loud concerts or events. And when possible, take breaks from noisy environments to prevent ear fatigue. Rest your ears between shows and practices, because the longer your ears are exposed, the more damage is being done. Musicians should practice their music at a reasonable volume. And be aware of your surroundings, whether in the crowd, onstage, or backstage. Make sure you’re never too close to the sound reinforcement speakers. 1

Educate Yourself

Refer to the OSHA website at osha.gov to learn about the recommended maximum decibel exposure over time. Noise-induced hearing loss is damaging to delicate sensory hair cells inside the ear caused by a combination of volume and time. OSHA says 85 dB is a safe zone for eight hours, but as the amplitude increases, the exposure time decreases. 2

Get Regularly Tested Get a hearing test at least once a year. If you attend a lot of shows you may not notice the decline in your hearing until it’s too late. Regular visits to the audiologist are essential for concertgoers and music industry professionals. 3

This article is based on material from The Recording Academy and MusiCares. For more, see grammy.com/musicares. For references, see hhf.org/ winter2020-references.