The Truth About Hearing Loss

Hearing loss – a partial or total inability to hear in one or both ears – affects 1.5 billion people globally (20 percent of the world’s population!), according to the World Health Organisation. Yet, it’s estimated that 466 million are living with disabling hearing loss.

How is it possible that such a widespread condition is so undertreated? The reasons for this are varied and complex, but misconceptions and misinformation tend to be at the forefront of why treating hearing loss isn’t becoming the important conversation it needs to be.

One of the effective ways to treat hearing loss is through Cochlear implants, explains DR REBECCA HEYWOOD, a British ENT surgeon in Singapore with 25 years of expertise managing complex ear and hearing conditions in children and adults.

All too often, she sees patients who have suffered disabling hearing loss for years, only to find out that the condition – and its health risks – could have been treated effectively, much earlier on. By changing mindsets and spreading awareness about Cochlear implants, she hopes more people will have the clarity they need to take their hearing health seriously.

Here, she shares five important facts that can help set that mission in motion.

#1 Just because you can hear doesn’t mean you’re not suffering from hearing loss

For many people, hearing loss develops quite slowly, making it difficult to observe any obvious changes in hearing abilities, explains Dr Heywood. “It happens very insidiously, so many people don’t realise they have hearing loss until it becomes severe enough to impact everyday life.”

Of course, as hearing loss worsens, the signs become more obvious. But, even then, many people tend to let the condition go unchecked because they can technically still hear sound.

“There’s this big belief that hearing loss means that you can’t hear anything. So, many people continue to struggle and, in doing so, they miss out on so much,” says Dr Heywood. Some of the most common signs of hearing loss include the following:

• difficulty hearing conversations clearly, particularly in noisy environments

• frequently asking people to repeat themselves

• speaking too loudly or too quietly

• increasing the volume of the TV beyond others’ comfort levels

Getting your hearing tested is a good way to catch hearing loss early before it progresses, she says. While you won’t likely find hearing included in your yearly preventative screening package (another challenge that stands in the way of people taking their hearing health seriously), she recommends yearly hearing checks for people over the age of 50, or younger if there is a family history of hearing loss.

#2 Hearing loss has many determining factors

Fifty percent of Singaporean adults over the age of 60 are affected by age-related hearing loss, making it the primary cause of hearing loss in Singapore. Worldwide, too, hearing loss is most common in adults over the age of 60. This has to do with an increased prevalence of sensory loss with age, explains Dr Heywood.

Aside from age, there are other factors that can impact hearing at different stages of life, including genetics, health conditions such as diabetes and hypertension, the use of certain medications, meningitis and certain viruses.

The single most common cause of acquired hearing loss, she says, is excessive noise exposure.

“What many people don’t realise is that prolonged noise exposure adds up. There is a growing epidemic of noise-induced hearing loss, with a frightening number of people in their teens and 20’s developing high frequency inner ear hearing loss.”

#3 You don’t have to live with hearing loss, and you shouldn’t – your health depends on it

Many people assume that hearing loss is just an inevitable part of getting older, like getting grey hair or wrinkles, so they don’t see it as an important enough health problem to address. But, the truth is, untreated hearing loss can have detrimental effects on one’s mental and cognitive health, and is linked to higher rates of depression and social withdrawal.

“Missing out on conversations happening right in front of you can be lonely and isolating. Even dinner with family or friends can create feelings of exclusion and loneliness, even while surrounded by loved ones,” says Dr Heywood.

And, in the workplace, not being able to hear what coworkers are saying can lead to frustration, embarrassment and even avoidance of conversation or collaboration altogether, she explains.

“Slowly, people start to change their lifestyles to accommodate their progressive hearing loss, and they don’t even realise it.”

Untreated hearing loss has also been shown to accelerate cognitive decline and the onset of dementia. Hearing loss in mid-life, specifically, is considered the single most important modifiable risk factor for dementia.

The good news is that cognitive decline in adults can be slowed with the proper management of hearing loss. A study conducted by students and researchers from the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS Medicine) found that using hearing restorative devices decreases the risk of long-term cognitive decline by 20 percent.

#4 Hearing devices don’t make you feel old; it’s the inability to hear that does that

All too often, people delay getting their hearing checked because they think that wearing hearing devices will make them look old. While this age-old stigma may be a hard one to shake, Dr Heywood says that, once the hurdle of convincing people, particularly older adults, is crossed, most patients find that the benefits of restored hearing are worth it.

“People think that having hearing devices will make them look old. But so many of my patients, after getting hearing devices, tell me that not being able to hear people is actually what made them feel old.”

#5 Cochlear implants can make hearing possible when hearing aids can’t

While hearing aids can benefit a segment of people with hearing loss, there are some patients whose hearing is too deprecated to hear through hearing aids, says Dr Heywood. These patients can benefit from Cochlear implants – external sound processors that are surgically implanted into the inner ear so that sound can be transmitted.

“Whereas hearing aids amplify sound for people who still have some ability to hear, Cochlear implants bypass the damaged parts of the ear to directly stimulate the auditory nerve. This makes it possible for people with severe and profound hearing loss to process sound and engage in everyday life.”

A global leader in implantable hearing solutions, Cochlear has been connecting hundreds of thousands of people all over the world to a full life of hearing for nearly 40 years. And, in Singapore, surgeons have been performing Cochlear implant procedures since 1997. It is growing to be a standard of care for hearing loss intervention for people who no longer benefit from hearing aids, says Dr Heywood.

The bottom line

Taking our hearing health seriously can go a long way in maintaining our overall health. If you notice any signs of hearing loss, don’t wait to get checked. With the help of an experienced ENT or audiologist, your quality of life can be transformed.

If you’ve already got a hearing aid but find that you’re still struggling to catch what’s being said, know that Cochlear implants may be a more suitable option for you.

A Cochlear study showed that adults with cochlear implants reported a ten-fold improvement in satisfaction versus hearing aids.

The cost of implants and surgery is covered by the public health system for Singaporeans and PRs, and many people can also get covered under their private enhanced shield plan.

“At Cochlear, we’re committed to helping people of all ages rediscover the joy of hearing and reconnect with the world around them,” says Amy Zheng, General Manager, Asian Growth Markets at Cochlear. “We’re proud to be a part of the solution, offering innovative cochlear implant technology that can empower individuals with severe hearing loss to live full and engaged lives.”

Learn more about Cochlear implants in Singapore at cochlear.com/sg.