Is your hearing on the shelf?
Posted in Hearing on April 20, 2010
The number one reason people seek a hearing solution is the recognition that their hearing has worsened. Usually this occurs from making a serious mistake, family pressure or safety concerns. Source: Better Hearing Institute 3/22/10
Hearing loss affects many people, not just our older friends and family. In fact, 15% of people 45-64 years old have hearing loss which should be evaluated and treatment considered...why?
As we lose hearing our brain experiences auditory deprivation. For many this is isolated to an area: high frequencies -- and comes with difficulty hearing in noise as well as hearing female voices. The lack of stimulus to the brain causes the brain to learn a new task for this area to stay occupied. (Resent research is hinting that this area of the brain converts to "touch" instead of hearing.) Now Fast forward 20 years when you realize you cannot get by without hearing aids. What is your Audiologist now faced with? Not just a dysfunction in the organ which codes sound, but also a nerve and central system (brain) which is not able to use the codes accurately. Yes, this is the "use it or lose it" lecture.
I see patients every week that have lost "word recognition." This means that even when the sound is turned up it's still distorted and unclear. We know this happens more quickly in those who do not use hearing aids and instead "cope" with hearing loss. When they finally realize they must get hearing aids, they've lost so much function that they continue to have difficulty because the nerves and brain are not able to carry and interpret the sound accurately. Those who use hearing aids earlier do not suffer this deprivation, and although the organ changes with age or injury, the brain adjusts to the new coming sound and they are more successful overall.
A fact to consider: Only 1 out of 5 people who could benefit from a hearing aid actually wears one. This means four out of five are putting their hearing on the shelf and truly losing more because of it.
Sincerely,
Michelle Batson, AuD