You expect specific things as your loved ones grow older: Gray hair, needing glasses, stories about “When I was your age”. Another change commonly connected with aging is hearing loss. There are many reasons why this happens: Exposure to loud noises (whether job-related or from a youth spent at rock concerts), medications that cause damage to structures within the ear (some forms of chemotherapy, for instance, have this side effect), or merely changes to the inner ear.
But you can’t simply ignore the hearing impairment of an older friend or relative just because you expected it would occur. Particularly because age-related hearing problems can be subtle, it happens slowly and over time, not abruptly and noticeably, you may work around it by just speaking more clearly or turning up the TV. So here are four principal reasons you should take hearing loss seriously, and speak with your loved one about ways to manage it.
1. Needless Hazard is Caused by Hearing Impairment
In a large building, smoke or fire alarms have a visual element (typically a flashing light) along with being very loud, but the majority of household alarms don’t. People who suffer from hearing loss can miss other less extreme day-to-day cues as well: A phone call, a doorbell, or a car horn (which can also be unsafe). Minor inconveniences or even major challenges can be the outcome of reduced hearing.
2. There Can be an Increase in Cognitive Decline With Hearing Loss
There is a statistically significant link between age related hearing loss and mental decline as reported by a large meta-study. The mechanism is debated, but the most prevalent theory is that when individuals have difficulty hearing, they withdraw socially, lowering their general level of involvement and failing to “exercise” their brains. Another leading theory is that the brain has to work harder to try and fill in the missing auditory stimulus that’s lost with hearing loss, leaving less resources for mental function.
3. The High Cost of Hearing Loss
Here’s a solid counter-argument to the concept that getting treatment for hearing loss is too expensive: Untreated hearing loss can impact your finances for numerous reasons. For example, people who have ignored hearing loss had, on average, a 33% higher medical cost, according to a 2016 study. Why? One of the study’s authors speculated that people with hearing loss might skip preventative care due to trouble communicating and thus end up with a hefty bill because a major health problem wasn’t caught earlier. Hearing loss is also linked to mental decline and numerous health issues, as others have noted. And if all that’s not enough consider this: Your paycheck could be directly impacted, if you haven’t already retired, due to a decline in productivity caused by hearing impairment.
4. Hearing Impairment is Linked to Depression
Difficulty hearing can have emotional and mental health consequences, too. The stress and anxiety of not being able to hear others clearly will frequently cause withdrawal and isolation. Especially among elderly people, a lack of social engagement is linked to negative mental (and physical) health consequences. The good news: Social engagement will induce less anxiety with treatment for hearing loss and this will result in less depression. People who use hearing aids to address hearing impairment show fewer symptoms of depression and are more socially active according to a study done by the National Council on Aging.
How You Can Help
Communicate! Keep the conversation about hearing loss going with your family member. This can help with cognitive engagement, and it can also help provide a second set of ears (literally) assessing hearing. People older than 70 who suffer with hearing loss tend to under-report it, though the reasons why are presently debated. The next move is to motivate the person with hearing loss to schedule an appointment with us. Regular, professional hearing assessments are important for providing a baseline and learning how their hearing might be changing.