Listen Up: 7 Hearing Facts for Anyone Over 50
It’s not all bad news – but does require you to take action
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If you're over 50 and have difficulty hearing, you can rest assured that you're not alone. Increasing age is the biggest risk factor1 for hearing loss, and age-related hearing loss—or “presbycusis," as it's known—affects an estimated one in three2 people between the ages of 65 and 74. Here are a few more facts about hearing loss that anyone over age 50 should know.
1. Age-related hearing loss is different than noise-induced hearing loss.
While the latter is typically caused by overexposure to excessive noise, the former usually results from natural changes to the ear over time. Noise-induced hearing loss is preventable (wear ear protection while mowing, for example), but as with the changes most of us experience with our vision, there is no known way to prevent age-related hearing loss.
2. Many adults experience hearing loss without realizing it.
Researchers estimate that physicians routinely screen less than 13 percent of the U.S. population for hearing loss3. Meanwhile, many of those who do have hearing loss don't notice the signs until they're alerted by friends or family.
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3. There's a connection between hearing loss and cognitive health.
Research funded by groups like the National Institute on Aging has found that untreated hearing loss can increase the risk of cognitive decline and dementia in older adults4. One study, for example, found that even moderate hearing loss is associated with a three-fold increase in dementia risk. On the flip side, another recent study determined that hearing aid use can help prevent accelerated cognitive decline among older adults5.
4. Untreated hearing loss can impact quality of life.
In addition to its potential impact on cognitive decline, untreated hearing loss has been found to increase the risk of mood disorders like depression and anxiety. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has noted that hearing loss “can have a profound impact on quality of life."
5. Hearing aids can be life changing.
The National Institutes of Health estimates that nearly 30 million adults in the United States could benefit from using hearing aids. And one recent survey conducted about Oticon OpnTM found that of 700 people with hearing loss found that 96 percent were able to hear “better" or “much better" with hearing aids6.
6. Modern hearing aids are nothing like the devices your parents had in their ears.
Today's hearing aids are comfortable, easy to use, and practically invisible. The latest devices use digital technology for seamless connectivity with smartphones and other electronics, and automatically adjust to the wearer's “sound environment" to optimize hearing in difficult situations.
7. A qualified professional can help you get your hearing back.
The good news for anyone with age-related hearing loss is that something can be done about it. If it frequently seems like those around you are speaking low, or if you're always asking people to repeat themselves, take the first step toward better hearing and ask your doctor about a professional evaluation.
You have the power to improve your hearing so you can live a fuller life. See how Oticon’s new technology can help you or a loved one hear better.
Take the first step to improving your hearing today.
Click here to try an Oticon hearing aid risk-free.
Sources:
2 National Institute on Deafness and Other Communications Disorders
5 U.S. Library of National Medicine National Institutes of Health
6 700 Opn users voluntarily mailed response cards to share their personal perceptions of the open sound experience. The users (average age 61-70 years) had worn Opn for 12 weeks or less.
