The presidency is a noisy job, what with the helicopters, screaming crowds and military bands. But Clinton’s doctors say his problem has developed over several decades. As a teenager, he played sax in a band and hunted ducks with shotguns. Combine those pastimes with a penchant for loud music, and you have a recipe for long- term hearing loss. Any sound louder than 85 decibels can damage the delicate hair cells that line the inner ear. The effects may go unnoticed for long periods, but they accumulate. ““Here’s a guy with a lot of noise exposure that never bothered him when he was young,’’ says Dr. William Clark, senior scientist at the Central Institute for the Deaf, in St. Louis. ““When he got older, it caught him.''
Clinton’s hearing loss is unusually severe for someone his age–only 10 percent of all 50-year-olds may benefit from hearing aids–but his symptoms are classic. He has no trouble with normal conversation, which occurs at frequencies of 500 to 2,000 herz. But because he falters at frequencies of 3,000 to 8,000 herz, he can’t always understand people in loud rooms or large outdoor spaces. Clinton’s internist, U.S. Navy Capt. Connie Mariano, says the hearing aids are not a medical necessity, just a ““quality-of-life thing’’ that will make it easier to enjoy music and navigate crowded receptions.
Hearing aside, the president’s physical condition has improved in the past year. He has lost 20 pounds since his last checkup (he’s six feet two and now weighs in at 196). His total blood cholesterol has dropped from 191 to 179. And the knee injury that landed him in a wheelchair last winter has healed. Like many other baby boomers, Clinton seems to grow more health-conscious with age. Unfortunately, healthful living can’t fix a damaged ear.
