Health Consequences of Hearing Loss

Mar 20, 2019 | Margaret Shepard | @Margaret_Marie | Comments (3)

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According to the National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, a division of the National Institutes of Health, 36 million Americans have a hearing loss, and it’s a growing problem for our – as our population ages. Approximately one-third of Americans between ages 65 and 74 have hearing loss, and that number increases to half of all adults over 75.

The good news is that hearing aids can help. The bad news, only 20 percent of people who could benefit from treatment actually seek help. This lack of treatment often affects the social, physical and cognitive wellbeing of older adults. Dr. Colin Driscoll, a Mayo Clinic otolaryngologist, explains the health consequences of untreated hearing loss.

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imallears | @imallears | Apr 11, 2019

While the video is a good short discussion of hearing loss, my major complaint is with the speaker who has the “really cute tiny hearing aids.”
She mentioned that you can’t see them. This only reinforces the stigma of wearing hearing aids. We are trying to hide them as if we are ashamed of them or we don’t want anyone to notice them. The biggest offenders are the people advertising and marketing these devices as “almost invisible”.
Those types of comments by the industry or anyone else, like the speaker on this panel, only discourage potential users and lead people to think that hearing loss is shameful and their fault.
Hopefully the insurance companies will get their heads out of the sand and start covering hearing aids as necessary medical devices. Not everyone is capable of having cochlear implants.

Mary H from Florida

lioness | @lioness | Apr 11, 2019

In reply to @imallears "While the video is a good short discussion of hearing loss, my major complaint is with..." + (show)

@imallears Found it and yes I agree Ins. Companies need to treat hearing sides as medical equipment like walkers,scooters The manufacturers need to present h.a.as a necessary tool for us to hear better

lucky1038 | @lucky1038 | Sep 28, 2019

hi, i think you should never laugh about people who suffer with hearing loss e.g. when you said something about people who cannot hear well arguing. that is NOT FUNNY AT ALL.