Untreated Hearing Loss
The Negative Effects on Quality of Life
You may never have thought of this, but persons who have untreated hearing loss actually never enjoy themselves. You may never have thought of this either, but people who are satisfied with their hearing instruments rarely discuss their hearing aids, they have other things on their minds. Generally, the only people who talk about their devices are those whose hearing aids are not properly fit. Hearing aids need to be both comfortable to wear and provide the proper electronic prescription for the hearing loss.
Causes of hearing loss
There are two types of hearing loss:
- Sensorineural hearing loss (or nerve deafness)
- An abnormality of the inner ear and/or the auditory nerve
- 95% of all hearing aid wearers have sensorineural loss
- Generally not medically or surgically treatable
- Aging is the most common cause
- Conductive hearing loss
- Abnormality of the outer and/or middle ear
- 5% of all hearing aid wearers have conductive loss
- Generally corrected medically or surgically, but with more frail elderly, often treated more safely with hearing aids than medically
- Some causes: excessive earwax, ear infections, immobilization of a bone in the middle ear, punctured eardrum.
Twenty-five million people in the U. S. who have hearing impairment are hearing aid candidates. Of these persons, 20%, or only approximately 5 million people, currently wear hearing aids. More than 10 million Americans over the age of 64 years have significant hearing loss and need hearing aids.
The National Council on Aging surveyed more than 2,300 people age 50+ years to determine the effects of hearing loss and hearing aid use on their lives. The study also surveyed more than 2,000 family members. The findings:
People who don’t seek help for their hearing impairment report significant negative effects from their loss.
Compared to hearing aid users, non-users reported:
- Less social activity
- More episodes of isolation
- More episodes of sadness and depression
- More episodes of feeling tense, irritable or anxious.
These differences existed even when accounting for age, gender and severity of the hearing loss. Just because an individual owns a hearing aid, it does not mean that this person is benefiting when wearing it. The hearing aid might be:
- Dead
- Not fitting any longer
- Have an outdated prescription
- Have too many/few controls
- Be fit to the wrong ear
- Not working as it did when new
One major reason for getting a hearing aid when there is hearing loss, but vision, perception, hand coordination, memory, etc. are in good shape, is that hearing aid operation tends to be remembered when other abilities/senses begin to fail.
People give themselves a long-term life gift when they address their hearing loss early and promptly. If you know someone who has a hearing aid, but is no longer hearing effectively, it is time for an audiology visit. Living with untreated hearing loss is very isolating, and disrupts effective on-going communication everyday, all day long.
Our Motto at Western Reserve Audiology: For those who struggle with hearing loss, well fit hearing aids are the best first step to improving quality of life!