Many farmers suffer from hearing loss because of exposure to farming and industrial work and loud animal noises.
Published: Mar. 21, 2025 at 11:26 AM PDT|Updated: Mar. 21, 2025 at 2:03 PM PDT
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) – Farming is a major industry in Kentucky, supporting thousands of jobs. Many farmers suffer from hearing loss because of exposure to farming and industrial work and loud animal noises. Now there’s a new partnership to help them.
Dale Dobson grew up around farm equipment as a fifth-generation farmer.
“We grew up on a farm, grain and dairy farm. Tractors, equipment, chain saws, hunting, fishing, trap shoot, anything a farm boy does,” Dobson said. “Buy a nice tractor, one of the first things we’d do is take muffler off of it, put a big old shiny pipe on it so you could hear it roar real good.”
Now 64-years-old, Dobson said 20 years ago he started noticing he wasn’t hearing as well. A hearing test confirmed he has high frequency hearing loss. It’s especially difficult for him to hear in noisy situations, and women’s and children’s voices.
“This kind of hearing loss makes you feel like you can hear people. They just mumble a little more than they used to. If they just looked at you, you could understand them a little better,” said Dr. Angie Beach, an audiologist with Heuser Hearing Institute.
Thanks to a partnership with the Kentucky Department of Agriculture and KY Hears, more farmers like Dobson will get help. KY Hears goes to rural areas to test hearing and now, thanks to a grant, will be at agriculture events where farmers will already be.
“That field day is already set, it’s already planned. Farmers are planning on coming that day,” Dobson said.
The mobile unit, which can test up to six people at a time, will travel around the state, giving tests. That means farmers don’t have to make a special appointment to come to Louisville or find somewhere else to get their hearing tested. KY Hears will also help the farmers get hearing aids at a reduced price, or even free, improving their hearing and quality of life.
“A lot of times (when) people can’t hear they are socially isolated, and that’s one of the things that can add to depression,” said Dr. Cheryl Witt, a University of Kentucky Extension Specialist and with the Kentucky Department of Agriculture. Dobson couldn’t believe the difference when he got his hearing aids.
“I think it can eliminate misunderstanding of words, and confusion,” Dobson said. “It’s been a great day.”
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