Do you struggle with hearing loss? If you do you are not alone! The World Health Organization reports that “currently more than 1.5 billion people (nearly 20% of the global population) live with hearing loss. 430 million of them have disabling hearing loss.” In the US, hearing loss is the third most common medical condition affecting people of all ages. Even so one in three people over the age of 65 are affected and this number jumps to one in every two people for those. While hearing loss may occur to anyone, at any age, the reality is that it does disproportionately affect older 75 and older. The truth is that as we age our risk of hearing loss goes up, meaning it’s important to begin monitoring for it regularly. When you are aware of a potential hearing loss, then you can treat it, most commonly with hearing aids. Unfortunately, however, of those 69 and older who could benefit from hearing aids, only around 20% have even tried them.
Undiagnosed
Hearing loss is often undiagnosed in part because it’s common for people to not even know they have an issue,. They may be living with it for years on not know it due to the gradual nature in which it often progresses. It’s common for just some pitches and tones to be lost at first and slowly become worse over years. However, it’s easy for your brain to rationalize these subtle losses in sound and adjust. Its common for the first sounds to go to be as subtle as a whisper or the wind in the trees. You may not know your missing these sounds until someone else hears them, remarks on them and you simply can’t hear them at all.
The Dangers of Denial
Even so it’s easy to rationalize these subtle losses or simply deny them. Many people don’t want to stop their busy lives to deal with a hearing loss. This is compounded by stimgas around hearing loss. People fear that admitting a hearing loss and treating it will make them seem old and feeble. However, ignoring the issue makes things quite worse. It’s common for the first sounds in speech to go are high frequency pitches, especially with age related hearing loss. In speech this equals commonly used consonants which help to define words from each other, such as “s,f,c,h,b,v,sh, and ch. These subtle differences in sound are lost, making speech incredibly confusing and exhausting to follow. You’ll find you’re self constantly having to ask people to repeat themselves, or even worse, simply pretending to hear.
Untreated
Untreated hearing loss is a serious issue. What starts as small miscommunications can build up into serious communication rifts over years. Friends, family, and co-workers start to notice though they may not attribute it to hearing loss. They may simply detect a disconnect as if you are confused, disoriented, and not paying attention to what they are saying. As rifts build it’s common for depression to set in. People are less likely to go out, try new things and connect socially to the people in their lives. Underactivity, and lack of social stimulation are major risk factors of cognitive decline and dementia. In fact, even a moderate untreated hearing loss can double the risk of dementia later in life. In addition, due to lack of awareness of external stimuli, people with untreated hearing loss are also at a higher risk for falls and accidents- which could lead to hospitalizations. For older adults this is a serious issue as a fall is often the first step toward an acute health decline.
When Should I Begin Annual Hearing Tests?
As we age the risk of hearing loss goes up- so test. It’s recommended that people begin taking annual hearing tests from the age of 50. Even if you don’t have a hearing loss yet, it’s helpful to monitor your progress and catch a major decline before it can affect the quality of your relationships and health. The Hearing Loss Association of America estimates that people wait an average of seven years from the time they first notice changes in their hearing to the time they decide to seek treatment for hearing loss. Make sure to test every three years or more so you don’t get caught unaware.
If you suspect you have a hearing loss don’t put it off any longer. Schedule a hearing exam with us today.