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The Scourge of the Boomers - Untreated Hearing Loss

Writer's picture: Patricia FaustPatricia Faust

 

Never did we ever believe when we were much younger that we would be discussing hearing loss!  That was in the realm of ‘old’ people, and we couldn’t even imagine that.  But time goes by and here we are – looking at a possible serious problem.

 

The Reasons Why We Can’t Hear

There are many reasons why we are now one of the 48 million Americans who are experiencing hearing problems.  We loved LOUD, Rockin music – the louder, the better.  The technology that was developing at that time introduced us to speakers that could make a room shudder with the volume they could put out.  If you were inclined to be a musician – and who wasn’t – you would turn that amplifier up to deafening levels.  The music sounded better – louder. 

There is even a website dedicated to Adult Musicians with Hearing Loss (AAMHL – Association of Adult Musicians with Hearing Loss) – www.aamhl.org 

 

Professional musicians are sounding the alarm about the consequences of not using ear protection when they play on stage.  The website Audicus (www.audicus.com/musicians-and -hearing-loss/) has a long list of rock stars you might recognize that now are hard of hearing:

Peter Townshend, Phil Collins, Bono, Sting, Roger Daltry, Ozzy Osbourne, Neal Young, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Brian Wilson (he had a congenital hearing defect). 

 

There are other reasons we are having a hard time hearing.  Our daily experience of loud environmental noises has increased in volume: more cars, construction, machinery, more people.  Our daily lives are inundated with noise.  This not only causes a lot of stress, but it is affecting our hearing.  Even using ear buds to listen to music can influence our ability to hear.  Research is starting to point to aging as a possible cause of hearing loss.  The wear and tear on the auditory structure of the ears is taking its toll.  Hair cells especially are vulnerable to damage, and they don’t regenerate.  By the time that Americans reach their 70’s, two-thirds have hearing loss.

 

Denial Is Not Just a River in Egypt

We see the many commercials on TV about hearing loss and hearing aids.  We get mail all the time about being part of trials or ‘use them free’ for a certain amount of time – all to sell more hearing aids.  Now we can just blow that off as something for the other guy – but chances are likely you had to turn up the volume of the TV just so that you could hear what they were saying.

Some of us will not be getting hearing aids – no matter what.  It seems to be a sign of getting older – and of course, that’s not true.  We don’t want everyone to think we are old and decrepit – not us!

And for some of us – hearing aids are just tooooooo expensive.  They are not covered by insurance, and I am talking about Medicare.  We think ‘No big deal’; “I got along fine without them so far and I am doing ok”.  This could result in a serious health crisis for many of us.

I have a significant update on this statement. In a major healthcare release this month (October 2022), over-the-counter hearing aids will be available to the public!  The size of the boomer group, along with the risks associated with hearing loss, has brought about a major policy change in healthcare.  Affordable hearing aids will be available to everyone with hearing loss!

 

Untreated Hearing Loss – A Link to Dementia

It is aggravating not being able to hear.  It is aggravating living with someone who can’t hear.  Why is that you ask? When you can’t hear each other, you repeat everything at least twice.  You can hear what the other person is saying only if you are in the same room – looking at each other while you talk.  This could seem romantic – but not so much!  It takes two people to watch TV.  You each fill in the gaps for the other.  And it is hard being out and about with other people.  It is uncomfortable to ask someone to repeat what they said – all of the time.  And, if you are feeling awkward about asking for the repeat you just don’t get what the conversation is all about.

 

The National Council on Aging found that people with hearing loss are also prone to anxiety and paranoia.  A quarter of older Americans with hearing loss agree with the statement: “People get mad at me for no reason.”  Those with hearing loss can talk over others, miss out on conversations, or ask people to repeat themselves.  They can also assign meaning to words they cannot hear.  This can make daily interactions frustrating for the person with hearing loss and their coworkers, friends, and family. (Shea Hearing Center, Jan.23, 2018).

 

So how do these problems add up to a high risk of developing dementia?  Although several research studies show a correlation between untreated hearing loss and a higher risk of developing dementia – there hasn’t been a good study to find the cause of this outcome.  There are some theories though that point to the cause:

·      People with hearing loss tend to feel more isolated because joining in on conversations is difficult as well as, being social with people you can’t hear.  There is a research link that shows that being isolated can result in depression and loneliness – both high-risk factors for dementia.

·      Your brain must work a lot harder to process sound. This causes resources in your brain to be allocated to processing these sounds, rather than used for other important activities.  This is ‘cognitive load’.

·      If your ears can no longer pick up on as many sounds, your hearing nerves will send fewer signals to your brain.  As a result, your brain declines. (www.webmd.com)

 

The Solution

Dr. Frank Lin, an expert on hearing research and a practitioner at Johns Hopkins Center on Aging and Health, conducted a study that found that people with hearing loss were 24 percent more likely to experience cognitive decline when compared to peers without hearing loss.  Some people with hearing loss can perceive sounds but not process them into meaningful speech while others cannot hear most sounds and cannot gauge the world around them.  How can you make memories when you didn’t hear it correctly in the first place?  Hearing devices not only guard against the health consequences of hearing loss but can also serve to reverse symptoms of cognitive decline.

 

Dr. Lin is in the midst of a multiyear study to determine if hearing aids can cut dementia.   Even though there have been no results of this study available yet, Dr. Lin believes there is no downside to using hearing aids. Being able to hear better provides a huge upside in improving the quality of your life because you can just – well - hear better.

 

References:

Gordan,A.  (June 13, 2017).  The connection between hearing loss and dementia. Hearing Health Foundation.  Retrieved July 16, 2018 from https://hearinghealthfoundation.org/blogs/connection-hearing-loss-dementia

 

Kopf, A.  (January 23, 2018).  The surprising consequences of untreated hearing loss.  Shea Hearing Center.  Retrieved July 16, 2018 from https://www.tennesssean.com/story/sponsor-story/shea-hearing/2018/01/23/surprisong-consequences-untreated-hearing-loss/1058067001/

 

WebMD. Hearing Loss and Dementia: The Silent Connection.  Retrieved July 16, 2018 from https://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/features/hearing-loss-dementia

 

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     What's Happening?

2025 has certainly started off with a BANG!  There is significant chaos surrounding the start of now President Trump’s term in office.  He described it as ‘Shock and Awe’.  I would agree with ‘shock’, but I am not in awe of the beginning of his term.  Time will tell how this all plays out.  It does force me to get serious about my meditation practice, however.

Then most of the United States was under, first – severe weather systems and then the incineration of Southern California.  In my particular neck of the woods (Ohio/Indiana border) we had 15 inches of snow, subzero temperatures made even colder by high wind.  My gas and electric bill will be out of this world after this month.  It has been a long time since we have seen this type of weather.  In 1978, we had a blizzard where over 30 inches of snow fell, the Ohio River froze over, and I had a blizzard baby 9 months later (to the day)! Nothing like that this time though!

The natural disasters to hit the US this year have been catastrophic.  There was Hurricane Helene that devastated Florida but also caused so much flooding in the Southeast State of North Carolina that the town of Ashville was left in shambles.  This is a mountain town where you would never expect torrential flooding to occur.  The recovery has been slow, but it is ongoing. 

Los Angeles California is the home of many famous and affluent people.  The Palisades and Malibu are two cities you might have seen on TV shows or in movies.  They are on the Pacific coast and were extremely beautiful.  There is nothing left. The damage is unimaginable.  It is hard to understand how people will bounce back from this.

No matter where you live or are reading this, please keep these communities in your thoughts and prayers.  If possible, check out sources where you may make contributions to their recovery.

On a lighter note, The Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles will play each other in Super Bowl 59 on February 9 in New Orleans.  These two teams played each other in the 2023 Super Bowl and The Chiefs were the winners.  Grudge match in 2025?  We will see.

Make sure you check out the activities going on at the Virtual Brain Health Center.  Krystal and LeAnne always have a month full of activities, the book club, podcasts and guests who bring their expertise to share.  It is free and is worth checking out.  www.virtualbrainhealthcenter.com

I am available to book speaking engagements for The Boomer Brain and The Inside Workings of the Aging Brain.  All Boomers are feeling brain aging losses – tip-of-the-tongue, lost word, forgetting things and the slow down of processing. Request information and open dates through patricia@myboomerbrain.com.

“Pat has written a comprehensive quide to understanding and navigating the intricacies of cognitive aging. ‘The Boomer Brain’ is a beacon of hope for those seeking to enrich their later years.” Dr. Sarah McKay (Founder of The Neuroscience Academy)

Over the past few years, I have had a friend, Carol Meyer, who has been a part of My Boomer Brain.  Carol has her own publication, InFlow that is published quarterly.  It is amazing.  InFlow Magazine - Your Digital Dose of Inspiration is just that.  She has chosen some of my blogs to publish in InFlow and I am grateful.  She wants me to extend an invitation to look at InFlow for yourself.  Here is the link and access information:

 

https://inflowmagazine.gumroad.com/l/Issue11

Scroll to ‘Name a fair price’                                                                                           Enter ‘0’ in the ‘name a fair price’ field to get it for free

 

 

THANKS for being a part of My Boomer Brain! 

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