Hearing Loss Among Veterans
On-the-job exposure is particularly common among U.S. Veterans, who can access VA services for hearing aids. According to the Hearing Loss Association of America:
- Hearing loss and/or tinnitus is the most common service-connected disability among U.S. Veterans.
- 2.7 million veterans receive hearing care or disability related to hearing loss.
- Half of all blast injuries experienced by veterans resulted in permanent hearing loss.
Referral To A Specialist
Your GP may refer you to an ear, nose and throat specialist or an audiologist . The specialist will carry out further hearing tests to help determine what’s causing your hearing loss and recommend the best course of treatment.
Some of the hearing tests you may have include a:
- tuning fork test
- pure tone audiometry
These tests are described below.
Tinnitus: By The Numbers
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90 percent of tinnitus cases occur with an underlying hearing loss.
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Tinnitus repeatedly ranks as the number one disability among returning military service members, just ahead of hearing loss.
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25 million American adults report experiencing tinnitus for five or more continuous minutes in the past year.
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There are no documented cures for tinnitus, but many treatments can help.
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16 million people seek medical attention for tinnitus annually.
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Other Types Of Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Sensorineural hearing loss occurs if the sensitive hair cells inside the cochlea are damaged, or as a result of damage to the auditory nerve . In some cases, both may be damaged.
Hearing loss caused by age and exposure to loud noises are both types of sensorineural hearing loss.
Sensorineural hearing loss can also be caused by:
- the genes you inherit some people may be born deaf or become deaf over time because of a genetic abnormality
- viral infections of the inner ear such as mumps or measles
- viral infections of the auditory nerve such as mumps or rubella
- acoustic neuroma a non-cancerous growth on or near the auditory nerve
- meningitis an infection of the protective membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord
- encephalitis inflammation of the brain
- multiple sclerosis a neurological condition affecting the central nervous system
- a head injury
- malformation of the ear
- stroke where the blood supply to the brain is cut off or interrupted
Some treatments and medicines, such as radiotherapy for nasal and sinus cancer, certain chemotherapy medicines or certain antibiotics can also damage the cochlea and the auditory nerve, causing sensorineural hearing loss.
People with diabetes, chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular disease are also at increased risk of hearing loss.
Sensorineural hearing loss is permanent and hearing aids are often required to improve hearing in these cases.
Hearing Loss And Dementia
When hearing loss is unassisted, those with a mild hearing loss are twice as likely to develop dementia as people without hearing loss, whilst those with moderate hearing loss are three times more likely to develop dementia and those with severe hearing loss are five times more likely to develop dementia.
There is evidence that cognitive decline can be addressed through early detection of hearing loss and the provision of amplification.
It is estimated that at least £28 million per year could be saved in England by properly managing hearing loss in people with dementia.
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They Pick Up The Wrong Sounds
Related to that in number four is that it picks up the wrong sounds way too much.
A few examples, which I absolutely hate it when I were hearing aids and its windy. Because it creates like a loud screeching sound when that wind goes into the tiny microphone of the hearing aids.
Its very, very annoying.
The other thing as well is when you eat eating food, you can hear of munching extra loud.
And if youre eating something crunchy, like a popcorn or some crisps, then it becomes very annoying and becomes uncomfortable.
So, yeah, it doesnt exactly pick up the right sound. It just pick up those annoying sounds on top of it as well.
So I just take it off.
Hearing Loss Affects Both Men And Women Of All Ages
All ethnic groups are affected by the hearing loss associated with aging, though certain diseases can be more prevalent in one group than another, For people under the age of 65, hearing loss is often associated with exposure to hazardous noise levels at work or leisure for instance, listening to loud music through headphones or at a concert, or working on the farm around loud mechanical equipment.
One of the most devastating things about hearing loss is that it interferes with the ability to communicate. Patients often realize that theyre not hearing as well as they used to theyll say, Im asking people to repeat themselves, and theyre getting annoyed, or everyone seems to be mumbling. It is important to treat hearing loss because otherwise persons begin to get isolated and that lack of interaction can impair a number of body systems.
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Why I Dont Like Wearing Hearing Aids
Ill be honest, personally, I dont enjoy wearing hearing aids at all.
Ive done a separate video about it and Ive got my own reasons.
But regardless of all that, I do wear it now and then, around social gathering or certain occasions where there are a lot of people.
Or even a small group of people and I want to be able to be part of our conversation, then, OK. I would wear it around that time.
But in general, I dont really like wearing hearing aids a lot.
The most important thing that you should be aware of is that hearing aids and cochlear implants, they do not bring a person hearing level two the same as a normal person hearing level.
It does not bring you back to that level at all.
It just helps a little bit. It gives you a little boost. It supports it in other ways. Thats it. Its just not going to make it the same level as you if you are hearing person yourself. Be aware of that.
And on top of that, like I said, just respect the persons decision whetherthey wear it or they dont wear it.
Respect it, but also understand why and appreciate it and be aware that there are a lot of things going on behind-the-scenes that will maybe bevery difficult for you to understand.
But if you have respect, thats all I can ask.
I hope this video has helped you. If you have any more questions,let me know in a comment.
Dont forget as well to or on whatever podcast platform that you use.
The Invisible Handicap: A Growing National Problem
Whats on this page:
- 36 million American experience hearing loss
- Those who have difficulty hearing can experience such distorted and incomplete communication that it seriously impacts their professional and personal lives, at times leading to isolation and withdrawal.
- Loss of hearing is a serious life issue, a medical condition that is associated with physical, emotional, mental and social well-being. Depression, anxiety, emotional instability, phobias, withdrawal, isolation, lessened health status and lessened self-esteem have all been linked to uncorrected hearing loss.
- Among seniors, hearing loss is the most prevalent medical condition, following arthritis and hypertension.
- There is a strong relationship between age and reported hearing loss: 18% of American adults 45-64 years old, 30% of adults 65-74 years old, and 47% of adults 75 years old or older have a hearing impairment.
Studies have linked untreated hearing loss to:
- Irritability, skepticism
- Reduced alertness and increased risk to personal safety
- Impaired memory and ability to learn new tasks
- Reduced job performance and earning power
- Diminished psychological and overall health
The Solution: Hearing Aids
Better Hearing Institute finds that:
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Bone Anchored Hearing Aids
A Bone Anchored Hearing Aid transmits sound directly to the cochlea by vibrating the mastoid bone. A minor operation is needed to fix a screw to the skull, on which the hearing aid can be clipped on and off. A BAHA is removed at night and when you swim or take a shower.
Unlike a bone conduction hearing aid, it’s not uncomfortable to wear and is used for patients with conductive hearing loss, or in some patients who have no hearing in one of their ears.
Some people may benefit from newer types of implantable bone conduction hearing aids that are held onto the head with magnets instead of a connector through the skin. However, these are only available at some BAHA centres and may require a referral to a different BAHA centre.
Hearing Loss In Older People
Hearing loss increases sharply with age nearly 42% of those aged over 50 years have hearing loss, increasing to about 71% of people aged 70+.
About 400,000 older people live in care homes and are disproportionately affected by hearing loss, with approximately 75% of residents having a hearing problem.
Unassisted hearing loss have a significant impact on older people leading to social isolation, depression, reduced quality of life and loss of independence and mobility.
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Awareness Of Hearing Loss
The majority of Canadians with measured hearing loss were not aware they had any hearing problems . About 77% of adults with at least slight measured hearing loss did not report a diagnosis of hearing problems by a health care professional, while the same occurred in 95% of children aged 6 to 11 and 86% of youth aged 12 to 19. Males and females were similar in that 79% of males and 83% of females with at least slight measured hearing loss did not report a diagnosis of a hearing problem.
| E use with caution F too unreliable to be publishedNotes: Awareness of hearing loss was based on whether or not the respondent has ever been diagnosed with a hearing problem by a health professional. Measured hearing loss was based on audiometric evaluation of the speech frequencies with hearing loss being defined as loss > 15 decibels in one or both ears.Canadian Health Measures Survey, Cycle 3 and Cycle 4 . |
What Questions Should I Ask My Doctor
You may want to ask your healthcare provider:
- Why did I lose my hearing?
- What type of hearing loss do I have?
- What is the best treatment for me?
- Should I consider a hearing aid?
- What changes can I make to protect my hearing?
- Should I look out for signs of complications?
A note from Cleveland Clinic
Many people have some degree of hearing loss in one or both ears. Unilateral hearing loss can affect your ability to take part in conversations and activities. Infants born with unilateral hearing loss or single-sided deafness can get help from early speech and language therapies. Hearing specialists can determine the best treatments to help you hear better. Hearing assist devices may help.
Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 07/09/2021.
References
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Every 4th Person To Suffer Hearing Loss By : Who
At least 700 million people will suffer from disabling hearing loss
By DTE Staff
One in every four individuals, or around 2.5 billion people, across the world will experience mild-to-profound hearing loss by 2050, said World Health Organization in a new report. It is estimated that at least 700 million people will suffer from disabling hearing loss and require ear and hearing care, WHO said.
WHO defines disabling hearing loss as greater than 40 decibels loss in adults and greater than 30 dB in children.
Exposure to excessive noise, was cited by the first World Report on Hearing as one of the reasons for the disability. Genetic causes, complications at birth, certain infectious diseases, chronic ear infections, the use of particular drugs and ageing are the other factors mentioned by WHO.
1.1 billion young people are at risk of hearing loss due to exposure to noise in recreational settings, mentioned a 2020 WHO report on deafness and hearing loss.
Over five per cent of the global population 432 million adults and 34 million children have disabling hearing loss. Till 2020, however, only 17 per cent of those who required hearing aid, actually used one.
Around 60 per cent of hearing loss among children is due to preventable causes, WHO said in the new report that will be formally launched on World Hearing Day on March 3, 2021. The organisation also observed that a large share of the world population with deafness or hearing loss is in low- and middle-income countries.
Where Hearing Aids Are Worn
Hearing aids that are consistently in damp or dusty environments often have more performance issues than other hearing aids. If youre concerned about the environments in which you wear your hearing aids, consult your hearing care professional for ideas about protective measures. You may need to use protective sleeves or schedule more frequent professional cleanings to extend the life of your hearing aids.
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Interested In Finding Out More
Please seek advice from your medical practitioner or health professional about treatments for hearing loss. They will be able to advise on a suitable solution for the hearing loss condition. All products should be used only as directed by your medical practitioner or health professional. Not all products are available in all countries.
Statcounter Global Stats: Mobile Operating System Market Share Worldwide April 2019: http://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share/mobile/worldwide. Accessed May 21, 2019.
Disabling hearing loss refers to hearing loss greater than 40dB in the better hearing ear in adults and a hearing loss greater than 30dB in the better hearing ear in children.
WHO: Deafness and hearing loss, March 2019: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/deafness-and-hearing-loss. Accessed on June 13, 2019.
*For compatibility information and devices visit cochlear.com/compatibility and beltone.com/compatibility
What Are The Benefits Of Having Different Channels
One could say that the more channels a hearing aid has, the better the potential sound quality. This becomes increasingly apparent in difficult or challenging listening environments that require complex sound processing.According to People Hearing Better, the advantages of multiple channels include:
It is possible that increasing the number of processing channels may be beneficial for hearing aid signal processing techniques, and there are advantages of multiple channels for certain features. Examples of signal processing techniques and features that may benefit from multiple channels include:
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Hearing Loss In Children And Youth
Audiometry results indicate that 8% of children and youth aged 6 to 19 had hearing loss that was considered slight or worse . Unlike adults, the prevalence of hearing loss did not differ by sex among children and youth. The majority of children and youth with hearing loss had hearing loss in only one ear .
| Females | 8.4 |
|---|---|
| Note: Hearing loss is defined as a speech-frequency pure-tone average consistent with at least slight hearing loss in one or both ears.Canadian Health Measures Survey, Cycle 3 and Cycle 4 . |
Audiometry tests were not conducted on children aged 3 to 5. However, results from the otoacoustic emissions testing and tympanometry indicate that about 4% of children aged 3 to 5 had results consistent with conductive hearing loss . Conductive hearing loss can indicate the potential for temporary or permanent hearing loss.Note 9
Social Isolation Loneliness And Stigma
Impact on society and economy
Years Lived with Disability and Disability Adjusted Life Years
WHO estimates that unaddressed hearing loss poses an annual global cost of US$ 980 billion. This includes health sector costs , costs of educational support, loss of productivity, and societal costs. 57% of these costs are attributed to low- and middle-income countries.
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Very Hard To Use With Phones
Number eight is because its so hard, for me, anyway to use it with a phone.
You have to adjust it when you wear hearing aids over your phone. Its just not easy. You have to get the right angle.
It is really hard for me to, 1) to find the right angle and even 2) thesound is not really perfect for me.
Again, there are modern hearing aids where you can connect it with your Bluetooth. That might be easier for some people.
But again, thats not always available for certain people because of cost oravailability or maybe the hearing aids, its not the right one for them, whatever.
Even though I find it very, very difficult to use my mobile phone and hearing aids at the same time, and I think other peopleare like that as well.
How Is Unilateral Hearing Loss Managed
Hearing loss treatments often depend on what causes your hearing loss and how severe it is.
Management options for unilateral hearing loss or single-sided deafness include:
In addition to devices, communication strategies and environmental modifications can help people with hearing loss communicate more effectively.
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They Can Give You A Headache
Number five is because they can give you a headache.
And that is because when you have all these sound amplified and you have to work extra hard to listen to the right sound.
Then youre concentrating even more and you get concentration fatigue and you become really exhausted.
When you wear it all day and the sounds are all amplified, and you still have to work hard to listen to the right sound.
So, for example, people are speaking, but there are other noises around it. Then you still have to work extra hard to focus on that person. You get concentration fatigue, you get tired, you get a headache.
And even if its not a noisy background, still the way we hear peoplespeak, its different. And you still have to listen extra hard to hear people because the sound of how they speak and it is amplified.
But its still not really clear as such.
So as a result, I just get very tired and it just so exhausting.
And you give up, you take it off and sometimes it just nicer that way.