As people age, they start to experience changes in their body that might affect their quality of life and their body functions. One of those significant changes is hearing loss. Age-related hearing loss is a common condition that impacts a majority of older adults. That’s why aging relatives often require the help of a hearing specialist to ask them for advice on how to prevent hearing loss from getting worse. However, there are a lot of things that people don’t know about this condition. Let’s explore some of those facts.
Hearing Loss Shouldn’t Be Ignored
Despite the fact that hearing loss is pretty common to adults age 65 and up, that’s no reason to simply just ignore it. The most apparent reason for this is because hearing loss can affect your brain functions if left unchecked. Your brain’s auditory cortex needs the hearing input to remain in good condition. If you suffer from hearing loss, your auditory cortex will eventually deteriorate as well because of the lack of input from hearing loss.
Hearing loss is also associated with negative impacts on cognitive function. Memory and thinking ability tends to decline faster for people experiencing hearing loss. There are even studies that found that there’s a connection between hearing loss and dementia.
Hearing Loss Affects Social Relationships
A person who has hearing loss can have a hard time interacting with their family and friends. The same goes for the family as they exert extra effort in communicating with their loved ones. A lot of people living with elder relatives have probably experienced this. The result is family members tend to engage less with the person suffering from hearing loss. Workplace performance and relationships are greatly affected by this.
Don’t Assume Your Doctor Will Notice Your Condition
Whenever you visit your primary doctor, it’s best to inform them of your hearing loss as soon as you can. The family and close relatives of the patient should also be proactive in bringing this up to their relative’s doctor so they can address it. Doctors may need to refer them to a hearing specialist or subject them to a couple of hearing tests.
Traditional Medicare Doesn’t Cover Hearing Tests
Speaking of getting tested, you might be surprised to know that traditional medicare doesn’t include routine audiology within its coverage. However, some Medicare Advantage plans may cover audiology. It’s always best to ask your healthcare provider and see if there’s any way to have the tests covered.
Hearing Aids Aren’t Always the Solution
Contrary to popular belief, a hearing aid isn’t an all-around solution for hearing loss. They can be very effective, but they’re not for everyone, especially older people. Hearing aids require a lot of time and effort for patients to adjust to using them. The device also needs to be properly calibrated for the patient. Otherwise, the device won’t work as intended. An individual who is cognitively impaired or is suffering from age-related hearing loss may not be able to handle the work of adapting to hearing aids. It’s a far more complicated tool than just slapping a pair of prescription glasses on a patient’s face.
Conclusion
Hearing loss should be taken seriously and with a sense of urgency. The condition is much easier to address sooner rather than later since hearing loss can have an adverse effect on a patient’s brain functions over time.
For any hearing-related issues and conditions, it’s best to consult an experienced hearing specialist. Hear More Associates is here to help by offering our full range of hearing solutions. Trust our hearing specialists to care for your hearing needs. Contact us today to set an appointment.
