Hearing Well Means Staying Well Regular Medical Check-ups are Key to Dealing with Age-Related Hearing Loss and its Effects Hearing loss can have serious consequences to your health beyond the frustration of not being able to hear well or at all. It can result in mental health issues, physical health issues and major safety concerns including: •D epression due to isolation; •F aster cognitive decline resulting in dementia due to isolation; •S ignificant increase in risk of falling due to balance issues;
and the earlier it is discovered, the easier it is to adapt to management techniques, hearing aids or other assistive listening devices. Hearing aids and other listening devices also have improved greatly over the last decade in function as well as fashion. Signs of agerelated hearing loss include: • Having trouble following a group conversation; • Often thinking people are mumbling;
•D riving impairment due to the inability to hear sirens, horns and other vehicles accelerating;
• Asking people to repeat things;
•P aranoia due to inability to hear environmental sounds and cues; and
• Having trouble understanding conversations on the phone;
• I ncreased stress from struggling to understand.
• Becoming stressed at or avoiding large gatherings because of difficulty hearing in crowds;
Keeping tabs on the ability to hear is an important part of healthy aging. Age-related hearing loss happens gradually, typically over a decade or more, and often goes unnoticed until it becomes significant. Among people 75 and older in the United States, nearly half have difficulty hearing and about one in three between the ages of 65 and 74 has hearing loss. Although most hearing loss cannot be reversed, it can often be successfully treated 24
• Having trouble understanding higher voices like those of women and children;
• Ringing in the ears; • Dizziness, loss of balance or vertigo; • Comments from others that your or your loved one’s TV, radio or stereo is loud; and • Ears that itch, hurt or leak fluid. Other factors that can contribute to hearing loss include a family history of hearing loss, diabetes, heart disease, or circulation or thyroid issues. Aging Resources 2021–2022
