SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — It has been established that farming is an occupation detrimental to farmers’ hearing. A good part of this is because many farmers are independent individuals and often refuse to wear hearing protection.

Hear-it.org shared that in an American study, "78 percent of farmers believe they have hearing loss, a significantly higher prevalence than those found in other comparable groups In the U.S. study, 5,000 farmers were questioned about their hearing over a period of 10 years. The study found that 92 percent of the farmers were exposed to extreme noise levels while involved in farming activities. As a result, 78 percent suffered from hearing problems, yet only 4 percent used hearing aids."

Kathleen C.M. Campbell, an audiologist and professor at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, shared information about hearing loss.

"Hearing loss is when hearing is no longer as sensitive to all sounds. Some but not all sounds have to be louder than for the average person."

Campbell said the vowel sounds, unlike consonants, are lost first because they are low frequency (low pitched) signals.

"In adults, hearing loss is worse for high-pitched than low-pitched sounds. That often means you can hear but can’t understand. You can hear the low frequency vowels at loud enough levels, but you can’t hear consonants very well and they are what help us distinguish one word from another. For example ‘take,’ ‘fake,’ ‘fate,’ ‘shake’ and ‘shape’ may all sound alike to the hearing-impaired person."

It is easy to imagine the messages that get mixed up over a radio between a farmer and his or her helper, Dr. Campbell said, "Shouting doesn’t help because it just increases the vowel sounds and not the consonants, and that doesn’t solve the problem."

Campbell had some advice for those working with individuals suffering from hearing loss. "Watching the speaker talk will make words clearer. "If you watch, you can tell a ‘b’ or ‘t’ sound – they appear different. A ‘k’ and a p’ sound will each look different, so that is why unconsciously those with hearing loss will start watching faces. Let the person watch your face and slow it down. Don’t over-exaggerate the words and get light on your face."

This is hard when it comes to field work. If possible, have the conversation take place in a quiet place before getting into machines. "Reduce background noise," Campbell said. "That is a problem because there is background noise everywhere. If you want to have a conversation, try turning off the background noise …"

Hear-it.org has advice about reducing noise on the farm, including "putting sound insulation in the barn and selecting the quietest equipment when purchasing new machinery."

It doesn’t take much noise to make hearing difficult. "Any time you have to raise your voice to hear a conversation, that means the sound may be loud enough to cause hearing loss over time," Campbell said.

"To help others hear what you are saying, speak clearly, don’t cover your mouth. Don’t try to talk while smoking or eating. Make sure the volume of your voice is adequate and that you are projecting. Also, relax your voice. When you get tense, the voice gets shrill and harder to understand."

For the very hearing impaired, she said to use cue words like "shopping" and "going to the store" when conversing. "Get attention before talking to them. Make sure they hear the whole sentence."

For those that suspect they or a loved one may have hearing loss, the first step is to see an audiologist and get a hearing test. "It is funny; everyone gets a vision test every two years, and they don’t get a hearing test. Loss comes on gradually; it is an invisible disorder."

Campbell said people sometimes shy away from testing their hearing or admitting they have a problem. Others find the memory loss they thought they were suffering from was just lack of hearing.

"In our society, some have made fun of people with hearing loss. There was a stigma attached because it can make you appear to be less mentally competent because sometimes you respond inappropriately to conversation. We find, though, that if you fit them with hearing aids and get the person into conversation, they often find out that the memory loss is not as bad. Like I say in my lectures, to medical students at SIU School of Medicine, "You can’t remember what you didn’t hear in the first place.’ "

Not only can a farmer or helper not remember what they don’t hear, but hearing damage may adversely affect farm workers’ concentration and contribute to physical exhaustion. "Farmers often have to exert more energy in order to perform their tasks in a noisy environment," Hear-it.org reported. "This can result in other work related injuries, as well."

For those with hearing loss, work with an audiologist to see what options they suggest. Hearing aids can help, but won’t return things to normal levels. Some good news, though, is that a lot of the hearing aids are programmable and can be reset as hearing needs change. "Hearing aids sometimes need maintenance," Campbell said. "Keep in mind that you are dealing with a little computer."

For farmers, it is particularly important when working in loud places to wear hearing protection.

"Any time you have to raise your voice to be heard, you need hearing protection. I have hearing protection in my purse at all times," Campbell said. "Hearing protection at the drugstore can help, or you can also get high-fidelity earplugs."