You’re not alone. Almost all of us will lose our hearing as we age
By Barbara Pierce
The statistics are alarming. Almost all of us will lose our hearing as we age.
According to the National Institutes of Health, approximately one in three people between the ages of 65 to 74 have hearing loss. Nearly half of those older than 75 have difficulty hearing.
In fact, hearing loss is the third most prevalent chronic health condition facing older adults, according to NIH.
Most of us don’t want to admit we have trouble hearing. Unfortunately, only 20% of those who have hearing loss admit they have it and look for help, according to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Admitting to hearing loss makes one feel old; there’s a social stigma around this — or so they think.
Others may not realize their hearing is diminishing or consider it a normal part of aging or can’t afford the cost of hearing aids.
“I compare it to expecting that you’ll need glasses to see up close as you get older,” said board-certified hearing aid specialist Robert Bishton of Hamilton Hearing in Hamilton. “Hearing loss is common and shouldn’t be ignored or dismissed as a normal part of aging.”
Left untreated, hearing loss can have serious consequences. Hearing loss has been identified as one of the top risk factors for dementia.
A new study at Johns Hopkins University found that older adults with hearing loss have a greater risk of developing dementia than those who do not have hearing loss. Cognitive abilities decline faster when one has hearing loss. Those who wore hearing aids have less of a risk.
Hearing loss makes the brain work harder, forcing it to strain to hear and fill in the gaps. That comes at the expense of other thinking and memory systems. Another possibility is that hearing loss causes the aging brain to shrink more quickly. A third possibility is that hearing loss leads people to be less socially engaged, which is hugely important to remaining intellectually stimulated. If you can’t hear very well, you may not go out as much, so the brain is less engaged and active.
Without question, the most challenging aspect of hearing loss is the effect it has on our relationships. Hearing loss makes it more difficult to interact with people. When people have a hard time hearing what others are saying, they often start to avoid situations where they know they will experience difficulty hearing. Similarly, loved ones may find communicating with a person with a hearing loss too difficult and avoid speaking with them.
This can lead to social isolation, which can lead to depression. The combination of isolation and depression is also a risk for dementia. Frequently, a person with a hearing loss may be mistaken for one with dementia.
According to a NIH study, hearing loss was significantly associated with an increased risk of depression in adults of all ages. Untreated hearing loss, social isolation and depression all contribute to an overall poorer quality of life.
Hearing loss also causes falls. Even a mild degree of hearing loss triples the risk of an accidental fall. In the ear, balance and hearing are directly connected, sharing a common nerve pathway to the brain.
Sudden deafness —an unexplained, sudden loss of hearing, usually in one ear—should be considered a medical emergency. Visit a health care professional immediately, as delaying diagnosis and treatment may decrease the effectiveness of treatment.
Experts recommend that everyone have their hearing tested once a year, to identify issues early on and treat them before they become a severe problem.
Hearing problems that are ignored or untreated can get worse. Hearing aids, special training, certain medicines, and surgery are some of the treatments that can help.
The most common treatment for hearing loss is the use of traditional hearing aids; more than 90% of persons with hearing loss can be successfully treated with hearing aids.
While there’s nothing you can do to prevent a hearing loss from progressing, the earlier you adopt the use of hearing aids to treat hearing loss, the better the long-term treatment outcomes will be, suggested Bishton.
“Hearing aids today are fantastic; they’re small,” he said. “Nobody even notices or cares. A person would rather have a face-to-face conversation with you when you’re not going “Huh?” or asking him to repeat himself.”
If you have hearing loss, “don’t accept it,” stressed Bishton. “If you’re losing your hearing, get it diagnosed and treated. Get treated and live life to the fullest.”