Advice From a Very Wise Man – Don’t Ignore Hearing Loss.

At 97 years young, Albert Ratner speaks from experience when he explains that longevity is not how long you live, it’s how long you live well.

A well-respected businessperson and philanthropist, Mr. Ratner played a pivotal role in the Ratner family’s company, Forest City Enterprises, which is known for revitalizing Cleveland’s Terminal Tower and major real estate development across the country. Mr. Ratner also is co-author of The Great Age Reboot, a book about how to live longer, younger and better.

One way he is ensuring he continues to live well is by doing all he can to treat his hearing loss.

According to Jessica Bonezzi, AuD, a doctor of audiology who treats patients at Cleveland Clinic, that’s rather uncommon. “I often see patients who have had signs of hearing loss for several years before they come in for their first hearing exam, and research has shown that it can then take on average over 10 years for them to pursue treatment with hearing aids,” she says.

As a child, Mr. Ratner had two mastoid surgeries to address chronic ear infections. In eighth grade, he and a friend started a business in which they played records – loudly – at school dances. He believes these factors played a part in the loss of hearing he began noticing when he was in his 50s or 60s.

And he’s not alone. Nearly 20 percent of the global population lives with some kind of hearing loss, with one in three adults over the age of 65 experiencing hearing loss.

“Mr. Ratner has severe sensorineural hearing loss in both ears which is caused by damage to the inner ear or auditory nerve which transmits signals to the brain. That damage can result from noise exposure, aging, genetic conditions, medications and more,” says Dr. Bonezzi.

As his hearing loss progressed over time, Mr. Ratner found it was impacting his ability to stay engaged in his social life and the community. “I could not hear so I would interrupt people when they were talking. I got to a point where I wouldn’t talk in crowds. Over time, I understood that it was me, not them,” says Mr. Ratner.

“Our hearing is not going to adapt to us, we have to adapt to our hearing. The sooner you take action related to hearing loss, the better your life will be.”

Those reasons, and research that shows untreated hearing loss is correlated to cognitive decline, make taking care of his hearing through hearing aids very important to him.

“Along with determining the extent of hearing loss, we also determine the level of loudness and speech understanding. In some cases, including Mr. Ratner’s, when we turn up the volume on the hearing aids so it’s loud enough for them to hear, it distorts clarity,” says Dr. Bonezzi.

While Mr. Ratner might have been a candidate for a cochlear implant, due to his age and other factors, he did not want to undergo surgery. Dr. Bonezzi instead proceeded to identify and test different hearing aids that would best help him understand speech.

“It’s important to note that Mr. Ratner was very open to this process. He’s well aware of the impact of hearing loss on cognitive decline, so we tried a lot of things – different devices, different ways to fit them in his ears,” says Dr. Bonezzi. “Many people get frustrated and give up. Mr. Ratner would come back and report on what worked and what didn’t until we found the best option for him – hearing aids that are easy to manage and comfortable to wear. Most importantly, they increase his word understanding.”

With the help of his hearing aids, Mr. Ratner is able to remain active and involved while also experiencing simple joys in life, like being able to hear his 15^th great grandchild on the phone.

“Our hearing is not going to adapt to us, we have to adapt to our hearing,” he says. “The sooner you take action related to hearing loss, the better your life will be.”