Hearing
Hearing Loss in Aging Adults: Effects and Treatments
As we age, many systems in our bodies begin to break down and the auditory system is no exception. Hearing loss is often referred to as the silent epidemic – according to Statistics Canada, 40% of the population over the age of 65 report a significant hearing loss. This percentage continues to rise with increasing age. Hearing loss typically progresses slowly, often going unnoticed for years. The effects of untreated hearing loss can be devastating on older adults, leading to depression and feelings of isolation. One of the most commonly reported problems with even mild hearing losses is an extreme deficit in the ability to understand speech in background noise. Often, individuals with hearing loss will begin to isolate themselves by avoiding situations where they have difficulty hearing (such as the weekly card game, restaurants, family gatherings) simply because they cannot take part in the socializing. More severe losses can make even one-on-one communication difficult, especially if the hearing impaired individual cannot see the speaker (e.g. speaker is in a different room, speaker’s head is turned).
The vast majority of hearing losses – especially losses that are age-related – cannot be treated medically or surgically. However, the effects of these hearing losses can be significantly diminished with the help of hearing aids. Especially given the high price tag, the expectations of hearing aids are often quite high. While hearing aids are often criticized as being imperfect, hearing aid technology has been improving steadily over the past decade and these advancements have brought improved benefits to the user. Some of the most recent advances include:
- Advanced Directional Microphones: Noise occurring to the sides and behind the listener is reduced allowing the listener to focus on sounds from the front. More advanced systems are activated automatically.
- Noise Reduction: Sensors scan the environment for noise. When encountered, the hearing aid automatically reduces the amplification in the frequency or pitch range where the noise is occurring, ensuring a comfortable listening environment.
- Hearing aids that communicate with each other: This feature enables hearing aids to send information back and forth – mimicking the way the human auditory system works.
- Smaller, more stylish hearing aids: There are many models of hearing aid available which are smaller, more compact and could even be considered ‘stylish’. While no hearing aid is invisible, many products are certainly difficult to see either on or in the ear.
- Connectivity with other devices: One of the most recent advances in hearing aid technology allows certain aids to connect wirelessly to other devices such as televisions, computers, mobile and home phones and portable music players allowing the hearing impaired individual access to these devices.
While these features have not enabled hearing aids to restore perfectly normal hearing, they have dramatically improved the performance of hearing aids – especially in noisy situations. Today’s hearing aids can provide our aging population with significant relief from the effects of all degrees of hearing impairment.
