LEXINGTON Imagine being cut off from communication with your loved ones. Conversations happen around you, but you can’t really participate like you used to. It becomes easier to stay home rather than go out to a restaurant or social event because it is just too frustrating to try and hear what everyone is saying.
Unfortunately, this is the reality of hearing loss for many seniors every day. About 25 percent of those 65 to 74 years old have significant hearing loss. And, for those 75 and older, the number increases to 50 percent.
As a physician, you are aware of many senior citizens in your practice who have hearing loss. You know that more than any other sensory deficit, hearing loss closes a person off from other people. Problems that stem from hearing loss in the elderly include:
Depression
Withdrawal from social life
Loneliness
Anger
Decreased personal safety
Cognitive decline
Poor health
Seniors with untreated hearing loss report a lower quality of life than those without hearing loss or those whose hearing loss has been treated with hearing aids. The emotional toll alone is devastating, let alone the toll on physical and social health.
All aspects of life are affected by all types of negative emotions. Those who are experiencing age-related hearing loss, quite often, find that their family relationships suffer due to their inability to hear adequately or fully participate in conversations. A person with hearing loss might be irritable, and lash out with frustration. Blaming others for mumbling or speaking too softly is common for those with age-related hearing loss, as are arguments over the volume of the TV.
Social isolation often accompanies hearing loss and can also be detrimental to physical health. Those who are socially isolated are less likely to exercise or eat a healthy diet. This leads to conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. Social isolation due to hearing loss has also been linked to higher rates of cognitive decline in the elderly.
Hearing loss can take a toll on the physical health of the elderly in the form of diminished personal safety, disease, or falls. Those with hearing loss might have difficulty hearing an alarm or a siren. In addition, they might not hear instructions regarding medication or other vital medical information. Also, studies have shown, due to balance issues, those with untreated hearing loss are three times more likely to suffer falls than those without.
In conclusion, hearing loss affects every aspect of life for seniors, from physical well-being to emotional health to family relationships. Fortunately, the solution may lie in a simple hearing evaluation done by a doctor of audiology.
Stacey High, AuD, CCC-A, states, “It is a wonderful moment when a person cries tears of joy just for being able to hear the rustle of paper or the clicking of a pen. All of which they forgot made a sound. Then, they come back in two weeks and tell you how much they have enjoyed hearing their family. And then, they come back for a six month and one year follow-up, and they are a different, much happier person. They get their life back and that’s amazing!”
It is a wonderful moment when a person cries tears of joy just for being able to hear the rustle of paper or the clicking of a pen. All of which they forgot made a sound.– Stacey High