Hearing loss is one of the leading chronic health conditions in the United States. And yet, less than one in five people will treat age-related hearing loss. One in eight people over the age of 12 shows hearing loss in both ears. And yet, less than 30 percent have ever used hearing aids. Even cochlear implants, a small device that can bring sound to severely hard-of-hearing people, have become routine, outpatient surgery. 

With the technological advancements in the hearing loss industry, it’s difficult to ascertain exactly why we don’t see more people confronting and treating hearing loss. We know that the negative impacts of ignoring hearing loss are considerable, while the benefits are many.

Two types of hearing loss

Conductive hearing loss refers to that which is caused by an obstruction in the ear that is preventing sound from reaching the inner ear. People are typically aware of a problem with their hearing as sounds will be muffled and an overall lowering of the external world’s volume. The obstruction at fault is typically earwax, a bone or other growth within the ear, fluid resulting from illness, or a benign (non-cancerous) tumor. In almost every case, a small procedure can remove the obstruction and return a person to healthy hearing.

Sensorineural occurs when the inner ear is damaged. Common causes include illness, medications (sometimes reversible), traumatic brain injury, noise damage, genetic factors, and aging. Sensorineural hearing loss is irreversible.  

Early signs of age-related hearing loss

One very real reason that age-related hearing loss isn’t more widely treated is that it is a ‘silent’ condition. We say this because it’s so difficult to self-diagnose. It's often friends and family who notice changes in behavior before the person suffering from hearing loss is even aware of its impact.

The first signs are usually trouble with speech clarity. Because age-related hearing loss tends to be a loss of specific frequencies rather than the overall lowering of volume, other people’s speech sounds garbled or like they’re mumbling. You might find yourself asking conversation partners to repeat themselves a lot. Conversations in noisy environments with a lot of background noise are particularly difficult. Phone calls may be frustrating and you might find yourself avoiding them.

This type of hearing loss is subtle in its onset and progressive, which means it gets worse. Often, people live with their hearing loss for years and even decades before it becomes so life-altering that diagnosis and treatment are unavoidable. However, after such a long experience with challenged hearing, treating hearing loss can be difficult. This is because hearing loss is often accompanied by mental and emotional conditions like isolation and depression. 

What causes age-related hearing loss?

Currently, there is no way to prevent age-related hearing loss. It happens when the fine cells of the inner ear begin to decline, due to the natural aging process. These cells are non-regenerative, which means that when they become damaged, due to noise exposure or simply time, they don’t repair themselves or create new cells. Instead, we simply have fewer cells to work with.

They are integral to the hearing process because they act as noise receptors, collecting noise from the outside world and turning it into sound information to be sent to the brain’s processing centers. When fewer cells exist, less sound information is sent to the brain and we ‘hear’ less.

The link between hearing loss and dementia

In 2020 the Lancet Commission, a highly respected medical panel, released an updated guide to preventing dementia that contains 12 Modifiable Factors. These directives give us a shortlist of behaviors and conditions that we can modify to lessen the risks of dementia later in life. 

It will probably come as no surprise that physical inactivity, diabetes, depression, and smoking are all conditions that contribute to dementia and if avoided, could reduce one’s risk for later cognitive disorders. It might surprise you to learn that hearing loss also made the list and for the second time! 

The link between hearing loss and dementia has been acknowledged for some time, though scientists continue to investigate its cause. We know that people with even mild hearing loss are twice as likely to receive a dementia diagnosis than people with healthy hearing. Those with moderate or severe hearing loss were five times more likely.  That’s why it's more important than ever to acknowledge, diagnose and treat age-related hearing loss. 

The benefits of treating hearing loss

Treating hearing loss can help improve relationships, lessen symptoms of depression, lower your risk of dementia and improve your confidence in the workplace. The mere act of confronting hearing loss by scheduling a hearing consultation can bring feelings of accomplishment and a sense of control over your life.

To find out if you are living with undiagnosed hearing loss, schedule an exam with us today. Our highly trained team is ready to lead you through the simple process of an initial exam and we’ll walk you through your diagnosis so that you’re armed with the information you need.