Hearing Loss
Hearing loss is a common medical condition among older adults with a prevalence of >50% in
people aged 60 years or older [1]. It causes the sufferers to lose the ability to efficiently
communicate with family, peer group, and work place. It leads to chronic stress and is
associated with significant psychological and medical co-morbidity, such as social isolation,
cognitive decline, and depression [2].
Etiology
Multiple genetic and
environmental factors are involved. Environmental factors include noise exposure, ototoxin
exposure, infections, smoking, and comorbidities like hypertension or diabetes. There are
distinct between-subject differences regarding onset, pathology, and form of impairment.
Critical for speech intelligibility are frequencies
between 55–7,040 Hz (7 octaves).
Hearing Aids
Patients typically report improved quality of life with use of hearing aids but commonly
complain that they cannot understand speech, especially in the presence of background noise.
Despite implementation of noise-reduction strategies and directional-microphones, everyday
communication through hearing aids has still really frustrating limits at present.
What You Can Do About It
For adults with hearing loss, auditory training can facilitate communication in
noisy situations as it almost always leads to an improved speech intelligibility [3].
Also, auditory training on a regular basis counteracts feelings of helplessness and cognitive
decline very efficiently – getting involved and doing something about it is the most
important step to successfully cope with hearing loss.
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[1] Global Burden of Disease Study 2013 Collaborators. Global, regional, and national incidence,
prevalence, and years lived with disability for 301 acute and chronic diseases and injuries in
188 countries, 1990–2013: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013.
Lancet 2015; 386: 743–800
[2] Hsu WT, Hsu CC, Wen MH, Lin HC, Tsai HT, Su P, Sun CT, Lin CL, Hsu CY, Chang KH, Hsu YC:
Increased risk of depression in patients with acquired sensory hearing loss: A 12-year follow-up
study. Medicine (Baltimore). 2016; 95(44): e5312
[3] Humes LE, Skinner KG, Kinney DL, Rogers SE, Main AK, Quigley TM: Clinical Effectiveness of
an At-Home Auditory Training Program: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Ear Hear. 2019; 40(5): 1043-1060