Hearing happens to be one of our basic senses along with the most important one in terms of communication. Mostly, people fail to realize its worth and importance by the time it begins to fade and fail.
A few facts will exhibit just how important it is for the elderly to have their hearing consulted before any serious losses occur:
- According to WHO (2012), it is estimated that about 350 million people are suffering hearing loss worldwide.
- 95% of them are adults, mostly the elderly. Of the entire population, they have the highest prevalence of hearing impairment as there is a strong correlation between ageing and hearing loss.
- The graph below shows the prevalence of hearing loss in the United States in ages. 2001–2008 is increasing when the ages increase according to the research (Yamasoba et al., 2013). To generalize, 1 in 3 elderly above 65 years old has significant hearing loss.
The impacts of hearing loss in the elderly are devastating. Below are the top 5 reasons why an elderly should go for a hearing test as long as their age reaches 60 years and above.
- Loss of hearing often goes unnoticed and is usually discarded. Its slow and veiling process manages to deafen the ear before one realizes it is too late. The person facing hearing problems may be able to recognize sounds but will not be able to distinguish the correct words and sentences.
- Hearing loss can result in communication breakdown which can lead to many issues. It could make one paranoid and suspicious of other’s intentions and motives. It will either make one highly alert or careless about the surroundings.
- A person with hearing struggles will not be affected alone. Along with them, their family and friends will be deeply affected as they are the ones who communicate with them the most. The problems caused by not being able to hear will be both ways as it will lead both the speaker and the listener to confusion and estrangement.
- Hearing loss can lead to Dementia along with Alzheimer’s disease indirectly. Sounds being unable to enter can weaken the ear cells and will reduce the input to the brain, therefore decreasing the alertness to the surroundings. A study reveals that people with listening problems often struggle hard to focus on their surroundings which disrupts the section of the brain that has been reserved for memory, hence causing Dementia.
- Hearing loss has been proven to increase the risk of falls. According to USNews.com, “People with a 25-decibel hearing loss (classified as mild) were nearly three times more likely to have a history of falling than those with no hearing loss. Lack of sound awareness from the surroundings also increases the chance of car accidents for people with moderate hearing loss or more. “
Get your hearing test done for you and your loved one upon reaching the age of 60.
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