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July 2015 The Dangers of Untreated Hearing Loss In Sarasota/Manatee counties, there are approximately 145,000 persons living with hearing loss. At age 65, one of three people has hearing loss. Only 20% of individuals with hearing loss, who might benefit from treatment, actually seek help. Unfortunately, many people wait 7- 10 years before getting treatment, according to the (National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders – NIDCD). Untreated hearing loss lowers your quality of life. You feel left out, angry, frustrated, isolated, depressed, irritated, fatigued from the strain of trying to hear. Your psychological and overall health is diminished and untreated hearing loss increases the individual’s susceptibility to injury and consequent illnesses. This effect is especially high for those who live alone. Dangers of Untreated Hearing Loss You could face danger if you do not hear in the following situations. Driving sirens of emergency vehicles trying to pass you warning honks of the horn failure to hear engine noises, indicating that something is wrong (also with lawnmowers) and keep on driving maybe making the problem worse scraping sound if you accidentally run into a building or parking block causing more damage than you would have if you heard Walking Someone behind you trying to pass when they call ‘Passing on the left’ or ‘Bicycle approaching’ Skiing someone trying to pass you or that another skier is close to you Swimming warnings and requests from the lifeguard In the House fire alarm, doorbell and telephone ringing, pan sizzling on the stove, water running in the bathtub someone entering your house or unusual noises outside Weather Warnings tornadoes, hurricanes, emergency radio announcements and thunder, which announces itself to those with normal hearing Have you ever noticed, when emergency announcements interrupt normal TV programs the captions disappear? Higher Chance of Falling People with hearing loss are three times more likely to fall, or lose their balance, than others. Our balance is a complicated process which involves many parts of the body, but one of the most crucial parts is the one found within the inner ear according to Dr. Frank Lin, a professor of otolaryngology and epidemiology at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Lin also says the extra effort of trying to hear causes fatigue the brain and take its focus away from other things. Risk of Dementia Dr. Lin’s research, and that of others, has shown that people with even mild untreated hearing loss are two times more likely to develop dementia and that people with severe hearing loss are five times more likely to develop dementia. There is an excellent article – “Can getting a hearing aid prevent memory loss?” by Katherine Griffin, (AARP.org) which discusses the possibility that treating hearing loss more aggressively could help stave off cognitive decline and dementia. http://www.aarp.org/health/brain-health/info-07-2013/hearing-loss-linked-todementia.html What Exactly Is Dementia? What’s confusing about dementia is that it’s not actually a disease. Rather, it’s a collection of symptoms that can be caused by various diseases. Dementia symptoms include impairments in thinking, communicating, and memory. The leading cause of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease. Dementia can also be caused by brain damage incurred from an injury or stroke, and from other diseases like Huntington’s or Lewy body dementia. http://www.healthline.com/health/dementia/early-warning-signs#Communication4 Help is Available The audiologist or ENT doctor may recommend hearing aids or cochlear implants which improve hearing. However, they may not always be enough. Assistive Listening Devices such as alarm clock, doorbell ringer, telephone, smoke alarms with flashing or strobe lights help fill in the gap when you take off your hearing aid or cochlear implant. If you know someone with untreated hearing loss, encourage them to get help from an ENT doctor or an audiologist. The earlier the hearing loss is treated, the earlier the quality of life can be improved and the earlier the associated dangers can be reduced. Sources www.HLAA.org http://www.healthyhearing.com/report/51633-Untreated-hearing-loss-an-overlookeddanger http://phb.secondsensehearing.com/content/dangers/untreated-hearing-loss You do not have to face hearing loss alone. Contact your local chapter of Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) where you will find support, education and advocacy from the members and peer mentors. For more information, contact [email protected] or call 941 320 8825