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One in Seven Middle-Aged Adults Has Hearing Loss
03-21-2011Researchers in Madison, Wisconsin have discovered that 14% of middle-aged Americans have some sort of hearing loss. For those aged 48 to 59, that percentage jumps to around 20%, and for those 80 years old and older, the percentage skyrockets to 90%. The University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health research study included 3,285 subjects from 21 to 84 years of age.
Siemens Motion 501
04-13-2010I've had three different hearing aids in my life, and the Motion 501 ITE is the best and most comfortable out of all of them. It isn't very hidden on my ear, but it is quite stylish. My hearing loss isn't severe, so I wasn't in need of something too strong. If you have severe hearing loss this many not be the one for you. I have it on the second to highest setting and it is perfect for me. If you are looking for an everyday hearing aid I would recommend this one.
Dual Sensory Loss: When Eyes and Ears Don’t Work Together
09-15-2010It is has been estimated that by 2040, persons aged 65 and older will make up 20% of the United States population (Pleis and Cole, 1999). With aging comes normal age-related change in the visual and hearing mechanisms. Dual sensory loss, or hearing and vision loss combined, is increasing proportionately as the senior population grows. With dual sensory loss, the extent of both the vision and the hearing loss often result in communication difficulties for patients requiring more out-of-the-box skills and coping strategies than those difficulties of folks with vision or hearing problems alone.
Hearing loss is the third most chronic health condition affecting older adults. Age-related hearing loss or presbycusis affects about 30% of patients over 65 and 70% to 90% of those over the age of 85 (Weinstein, 2000). Age-related hearing changes impact speech understanding, especially in difficult listening situations such as theatres, restaurants and family gatherings with young children.
Age-related changes in vision or presbyopia include decrease in pupil size, loss of color sensitivity, sensitivity to light and glare, delayed ability to adapt to the dark, reduced peripheral or side vision, and loss of depth perception. About 1% of Americans are legally blind, that is with the best correction in the better eye equal to or worse than 20/200. It is estimated that 3 million Americans have low vision or significant vision loss requiring the use of assistive technology and environmental modifications to accomplish daily tasks.
Cataracts result in blurred visual acuity, impacting all aspects of vision. Diabetic retinopathy continues to grow due to the 23 million Americans diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes with resultant loss of visual acuity, blurring, haziness, and sensitivity to glare. Glaucoma, the result of abnormal pressure increases inside the eye, can lead to degeneration of the optic nerve and left untreated, permanent blindness.
When these eye conditions coincide with hearing loss, whether mild or significant, older adults will no longer be able to use visual cues to compensate for hearing loss.
Persons with dual sensory loss are more likely to suffer from depression, see themselves as being less healthy than others around them, feel they have a reduced quality of life and find less comfort in social activities (Brennan & Bally, 2007).
When individuals are faced with a spouse, parent or partner with dual sensory loss, it is important for them to find out as much information as possible about solutions for both problems of the eyes and ears. It is critical that the older adult with dual sensory loss be fitted with hearing aids coupled with, whenever possible, a personal listening device for safety and quality of life. Controls on such devices should be minimal with as many automatic features as possible (Kricos, 2007).
Teri Towne, MS
Hearing Loss and Dementia
03-30-2011Researchers are calling for “critically needed” “rehabilitative strategies” for confronting a newly discovered association between hearing loss and the progression of dementia.
How to be a smart hearing aid buyer
03-18-2011
Many people have a misconceptions about hearing aids and believe there is no solution to their hearing problem. Consumerrespots.org conducted a national survey of 1,100 people who bought hearing aids in the past three years, and lab-tested the features of 44 hearing aids to learn more about the following challenges.
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