The Hamilton Spectator

What to do if you think you have a hearing loss

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Hearing loss usually creeps up on us over time, caused by exposure to loud noises, aging, or some combinatio­n of the two.

Statistics show that the prevalence of hearing loss doubles for every decade of life(2), which explains why one out of three people 65-74 have hearing loss, nearly half over 75 have it(3), and four out of five people 85+(4) have hearing loss.

In other words, for most of us, hearing loss is normal and natural — just part of living a long, eventful life.

Here are six things you should do if and when hearing loss happens to you.

1. Get your hearing tested

If you think you have hearing loss, get your hearing tested. To do that, visit a hearing healthcare profession­al such as an audiologis­t to get a thorough, definitive hearing evaluation.

2. Choose between ignoring it…

If it turns out you have hearing loss, you have a choice — you can ignore it and deal with the challenges, or you can treat it.

Some of the challenges of hearing loss are subtle and barely noticeable, like needing things to be repeated, or missing out on small everyday sounds.

Some are more obvious and impactful, like mishearing important informatio­n, or feeling left out of conversati­ons and activities.

Still others can be profound, health-related issues, like how hearing loss is linked to increased risks of depression, anxiety, falls and hospitaliz­ations, social isolation, and even dementia(5).

…or treating it

Doctors and scientists from institutio­ns including Johns Hopkins Medicine and

Columbia University have long noted that treating hearing loss can help with many of these challenges, and studies have shown that for people with hearing loss, using a hearing aid is associated with a reduced risk of falls, depression, anxiety and dementia(6).

3. Visit a hearing healthcare profession­al such as an Audiologis­t.

When you are ready to treat your hearing loss — and Johns Hopkins’ Dr. Frank Lin recommends treating it “sooner rather than later…before these brain structural changes take place”(7) —start by talking to your doctor or visit an Audiologis­t, no referral necessary. Your appointmen­t with a hearing healthcare profession­al is your chance to get all your questions answered about your hearing loss.

5. Ask to try hearing aids

If hearing loss is confirmed during your appointmen­t, hearing aids will most likely be recommende­d. In Ontario, hearing aids require a prescripti­on and only an Audiologis­t or Physician can prescribe them. Hearing aids are by far the most common way to treat hearing loss. They can help a majority of people who have hearing issues.

6. Experience the difference they make

Once you get your hearing aids, take advantage of the trial period and wear them at home, outside, during work, while watching TV or enjoying leisure activities, and around your friends and loved ones. If hearing loss is making life more challengin­g or less fun, now is a good time to do something about it.

Come see us at Serenity Hearing, no referral necessary.

1. Adapted from a Blog printed by Starkey Hearing Canada (2021) I Think I Have Hearing Loss. Now What? www.starkey.com. Retrieved February 14, 2023, from https://www. starkey.com/blog/articles/2021/03/what-to-do-about-hearing-loss

2. Kevin J. Contrera, M.P.H. (2015) Associatio­n of Hearing Impairment and Mortality, JAMA Otolaryngo­logy–Head & Neck Surgery. JAMA Network. Available at: https://jamanetwor­k. com/journals/jamaotolar­yngology/fullarticl­e/2443702 (Accessed: February 14, 2023).

3. Untreated Hearing Loss in Adults—A Growing National Epidemic. (n.d.). American Speech-Language-Hearing Associatio­n. Retrieved February 14, 2023, from https://www. asha.org/articles/untreated-hearing-loss-in-adults.

4. Wattamwar, K., Qian, Z. J., Otter, J., Leskowitz, M. J., Caruana, F. F., Siedlecki, B., Spitzer, J. B., & Lalwani, A. K. (2017). Increases in the Rate of Age-Related Hearing Loss in the Older Old. JAMA Otolaryngo­logy–Head & Neck Surgery, 143(1), 41–45. https://doi.org/10.1001/ jamaoto.2016.2661

5. Hearing Loss Linked to Accelerate­d Brain Tissue Loss - 01/22/2014. (n.d.). www. hopkinsmed­icine.org. https://www.hopkinsmed­icine.org/news/media/releases/hearing_ loss_linked_to_accelerate­d_brain_tissue_loss_

6. Mahmoudi, E., Basu, T., Langa, K., McKee, M. M., Zazove, P., Alexander, N., & Kamdar, N. (2019). Can Hearing Aids Delay Time to Diagnosis of Dementia, Depression, or Falls in Older Adults? Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 67(11), 2362–2369. https:// doi.org/10.1111/jgs.16109

7. Hearing Loss Linked to Accelerate­d Brain Tissue Loss - 01/22/2014. (n.d.). Www. hopkinsmed­icine.org. https://www.hopkinsmed­icine.org/news/media/releases/hearing_ loss_linked_to_accelerate­d_brain_tissue_loss_

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 ?? ?? No referral is necessary to have a hearing test at Serenity Hearing. Book your appointmen­t today!
No referral is necessary to have a hearing test at Serenity Hearing. Book your appointmen­t today!

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