Start a conversation about hearing loss and you might hear the following:
A friend told me that as long as I can hear not worry about losing a bit of hearing. It’s natural.
Look, hearing loss is for old people. You’re only 45! Don’t worry about it.
There’s nothing you can do about hearing loss.
I’m sure you’ve heard other rationalizations about hearing loss and health in general. Often there’s a snippet of truth involved, but 95% of the facts are missing. As a result, you end up with a great distortion of information, and if believed, a great risk to your health.
Here are five myths and the facts that dispel them.
Myth 1: Hearing loss affects only older adults.
Fact: An estimated 48 million people live with hearing loss in the U.S. — two-thirds are under 65 years old. For example, 1 in 5 children ages 12 to 19 showed some sign of hearing loss in one or both ears.
Globally, the World Health Organization tells us that 1.1 billion teenagers and young adults risk hearing loss because of “unsafe use of personal audio devices, including smartphones, and exposure to damaging levels of sound at noisy entertainment venues such as nightclubs, bars, and sporting events.”
Myth 2: Hearing loss doesn’t affect the rest of my health.
Fact: Untreated hearing loss increases your risk of cognitive decline, dementia, falls, social isolation, and depression. Some scientists think hearing loss creates additional work for the brain, robbing other functions (e.g., short-term memory). Treating hearing loss with hearing aids can reverse — even prevent — some of these conditions.
Myth 3: Hearing aids are like glasses.
Fact: When one puts on a pair of glasses, vision instantly can be corrected to 20/20. This is not true of hearing. Your brain needs time to adjust to sound coming from hearing aids.
Everyone’s hearing loss is unique. Hearing aids have been designed to be programmed for each person’s hearing abilities. Fine-tuning hearing aids often takes repeated trips to your audiologist so they can home in on what works best for you.
Myth 4: Hearing loss is inevitable, especially with age, and can’t be prevented.
Fact: Hearing loss has many causes: genetics, certain medications, and exposure to loud noises. Smoking and diabetes can lead to hearing impairment too — and the steady pounding of today’s noisy environments leads to higher rates of hearing loss. Noise exposure is the most preventable cause of hearing loss.
Myth 5: I don’t need hearing aids since my hearing is fine overall.
Fact: It’s easy to dismiss your hearing loss as insignificant because even though you’ve lost hearing in some frequencies, you can still hear albeit not as well. But even a mild hearing loss can harm your cognitive abilities, work performance, and home-and-social life. Luckily, treating hearing loss allows the brain to relearn how to hear, improving psychological outlook, mood, mobility, independence, communication, and comfortable, confident social interaction.
Any hearing loss may be cause for concern. Hearing-loss research at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons reports the largest decrease in cognitive ability occurred in those whose hearing was just starting to become impaired, just 10 dB off the perfect mark. "Most people with hearing loss believe they can go about their lives just fine without treatment, and maybe some can," says Justin Golub, MD, who led the study. "But hearing loss is not benign. It has been linked to social isolation, depression, cognitive decline, and dementia. Hearing loss should be treated. This study suggests the earlier, the better." —ScienceDaily
Need help with your hearing?
A great way to start is with a free, 15-minute hearing screening performed by an audiologist. It’s easy to find out if you have hearing loss. So don’t guess. Find out.
After all, hearing loss is a modifiable risk factor for dementia.
If you have hearing loss, your audiologist will explain
- How much hearing you’ve lost
- Whether your hearing needs treating now or later
- How hearing aids mitigate the top four risks of hearing loss — social isolation, poor balance, faster cognitive decline, and dementia.
Crest Hill: 630-633-5060 | Palos Hills: 708-599-9500
