The Affect of Hearing Loss on Quality of Life

Hearing loss is one of the most prevalent chronic conditions in the United States with more than 19 million Americans age 45 and over having hearing loss. The National Council on the Aging (NCOA) released a groundbreaking study in 1999 that showed the significant impact that untreated hearing loss had on an individual’s emotional and social well-being. Individuals with untreated hearing loss were more likely to report depression, anxiety, irritability, anger and were less likely to participate in organized social activities.

Those using hearing aids reported benefits in many areas of their lives, ranging from their relationships at home to a sense of independence and physical well-being. Family members also noticed these improvements. Other studies have shown that symptoms of untreated hearing loss mimic the outward behavioral characteristics of early onset Alzheimer’s Disease. An individual with even a moderate hearing loss has a total functional impact similar to those exhibited by people with a major medical condition.

If you or someone you know shows signs of hearing loss, seek professional help from an Audiologist or Ear, Nose and Throat Physician so that you or they can enjoy life to the fullest with better hearing.


Hearing Loss Facts
  • 32 million people in the U.S. have a hearing loss
  • By age 65, one out of three people have a hearing loss
  • By age 85, three out of five people have a hearing loss
  • Symptoms of uncorrected hearing loss mimic outward behavior characteristics of early onset Alzheimer’s disease
  • Hearing deficits, when uncorrected, can exacerbate memory and cognitive disorders
  • 75% of people who could benefit from hearing aids are not using them
  • People with hearing loss wait for an average of seven years before seeking help
  • Isolation, withdrawal, and depression are common reactions to hearing loss
  • Hearing impaired people have a much higher divorce rate than hearing people
  • More people have a hearing loss, than people who are afflicted with blindness, multiple sclerosis, tuberculosis, kidney disease, liver disease and cancer combined

Common Signs of Hearing Loss

You may:

  • Hear but not understand people
  • Have difficulty understanding radio, television or public address systems
  • Need to watch a person’s lips in order to understand
  • Find yourself asking people to repeat what they have said
  • Pretend to understand
  • May avoid people and isolate yourself
  • May find it emotionally and physically exhausting to communicate
  • Think that you are the only one who has these difficulties

Hearing Instrument Benefits

All patients undergo a comprehensive hearing evaluation to determine the cause and extent of the loss. Once the patient is medically cleared, all options are discussed with the patient including the style of the hearing instrument and the technology level to meet the individual’s communication needs. Research has shown that patients report a much greater level of satisfaction with binaural fittings (two hearing instruments) because of increased benefits to the individual.

Benefits include, but are not limited to:

  • Digital technology resulting in a much cleaner, clearer, crisper sound quality
  • Programmability allowing for more precise adjustment and fine tuning
  • Better understanding of speech in groups and noisy situations
  • Suppressing unwanted noise to improve the clarity of speech
  • Improved ability to detect and identify the direction of sound
  • A balanced and comfortable listening experience
  • Natural sound quality
  • More efficient tinnitus masking

Advanced technology is only part of the process and benefits. Your involvement and level of motivation play a prominent role in your success. You can rely on the Hillcrest professionals for personal recommendations uniquely suited to you.


Consequences of Hearing Loss
  • The emotional consequences are anxiety, depression, negativism, irritability, embarrassment, frustration, anger, low self-esteem, and impatience
  • The social consequences are avoidance, silence, rejection, loss of intimacy, boredom, withdrawal, misunderstandings, conflict, and misinformation
  • The physical consequences are indigestion, tension, headaches, high blood pressure, fatigue, heart disease, low tolerance for loud noises, and endangerment

Tinnitus

What is tinnitus?

Put simply, tinnitus is the perception of sound in the ears or head where no external source is present. Some call it “ringing in the ears” or “head noise.” You may be new to the experience of tinnitus, or you may have been suffering with it for a long time. This condition affects 1 in 5 people.

Tinnitus is pronounced either ti-NIGHT-us or TIN–i-tus. Both pronunciations are correct. The word is of Latin origin, meaning “to ring or tinkle like a bell.” In almost all cases, tinnitus is a subjective noise, meaning that only the person who has tinnitus can hear it. People describe hearing different sounds: ringing, hissing, static, crickets, screeching, whooshing, roaring, pulsing, ocean waves, buzzing, dial tones, even music.

There are two types of tinnitus: Subjective tinnitus are sounds only you can hear. This is the most common type. Objective tinnitus are head or ear noises audible to other people as well as the patient.


What causes tinnitus?

Although there have been tremendous advances through research on what is known about the auditory (hearing) system, the exact physiological cause or causes of tinnitus are not known. There are, however, several likely sources, all of which are known to trigger or worsen tinnitus.

  • Noise exposure – called cilia, in the inner ear. Once damaged, these hair cells cannot be renewed or replaced.
  • Head and neck trauma – Physical trauma to the head and neck can induce tinnitus. Other symptoms include headaches, vertigo, and memory loss.
  • Certain disorders, such as hypo- or hyperthyroidism. Lyme disease, fibromyalgia, and thoracic outlet syndrome, can have tinnitus as a symptom. When tinnitus is a symptom of another disorder, treating the disorder can help alleviate the tinnitus.
  • Certain types of tumors
  • Wax build-up
  • Jaw misalignment
  • Cardiovascular disease
  • Ototoxicity – some medications are ototoxic (toxic to the ear). Other medications will produce tinnitus as a side effect without damaging the inner ear. Effects, which can depend on the dosage of the medication, can be temporary or permanent. Before taking any medication, make sure that your prescribing physician is aware of your tinnitus, and discuss alternative medications that may be available. There are websites that provide information on drug interactions. Two popular resources for this are Drugwatch.com and the Physicians Desktop Reference websites.
  • Pulsatile tinnitus – rare type of tinnitus that sounds like a rhythmic pulsing in the ear, typically in time with one’s heartbeat. This kind of tinnitus can be caused by abnormal blood flow in the arteries or veins close to the inner ear, brain tumors or irregularities in brain structure.

Protect Yourself from Tinnitus

Read about the risks of loud noise and how you can avoid damage to your ears. Learn how to properly insert and wear earplugs. Music is both magical and menacing. For many people, loud music causes tinnitus. Most at risk are: music lovers with the volume cranked up on their MP3 players, home or car stereo systems or CD players.


Can anything be done to treat and manage my tinnitus now while we all wait and hope for a cure?

The simple answer is yes. This is why we stress the importance of discussing your particular tinnitus situation with a qualified professional at Southwest Ohio ENT Specialists or Hillcrest Hearing Aids & Balance Center.

Amplification – Some tinnitus patients with hearing loss experience total or partial tinnitus relief while wearing hearing aids. There are many variables that determine success. However, if a patient has a hearing loss in the frequency range of the tinnitus, hearing aids may bring back in the ambient sounds that naturally cover the tinnitus.

Sound Therapy – Various treatment strategies use sound to decrease the loudness or prominence of tinnitus. Sound therapies include both wearable (hearing aid-like devices) and non-wearable devices (such as table-top sound machines or even a whirring fan). Often, sound is used to completely or partially cover the tinnitus. Some people refer to this covering of sound as masking. Sound therapies should always be combined with counseling.

For an in-depth look at Tinnitus, please refer to the American Tinnitus Association website at www.ata.org