Over Sixty Winter 2022 Digital

11 LIVEWELL OVERSIXTY.COM.AU | WINTER 2022 in the US, shows a three-fold increase in the risk of falls among people with a very mild hearing loss.The chances of falling increased with increasing hearing loss. Then there’s dementia. Clinical research has shown that hearing loss is found in nine out of ten subjects with dementia. This could be because those with hearing loss are more likely to isolate themselves, which is itself a risk factor for faster cognitive decline. It could also be that the changes in brain structure that accompany hearing loss also affect cognition. Hearing health professionals have long argued that the optimum time for fitting hearing aids is when the older adult is still young enough to be motivated to use them, as well as physically and cognitively able to adjust to the technology. Given the average age of 70 of first-time hearing aid users, one in five will likely have a significant cognitive loss by the time they’re trying to learn to Ignore hearing loss at your peril Ignoring hearing loss can raise the risk of dementia, falls, and other serious health concerns Untreated hearing loss has physical and psychological consequences KATHERINE BOUTON LIVE WELL T he facts are staggering: one in six Australians experience some form of hearing loss, yet only one in five who would benefit from a hearing aid actually use one. The average age of first-time hearing aid users is approximately 70, even though half of them began to lose their hearing at least a decade earlier.This is a lot of people with less than optimal hearing. Some people with hearing loss think they hear – and understand – perfectly well. Others assume the loss is part of ageing. Some people with hearing loss simply can’t afford hearing aids. Some worry that hearing aids will make them seem old. Meanwhile, their hearing loss is not only getting worse, it’s also becoming a hazard to other aspects of their life and health. Untreated hearing loss has physical and psychological consequences that far outweigh the inability to hear well. Hearing loss has been linked to depression and social isolation, to paranoia, and to personality changes like becoming more introverted. Hearing loss has also been linked to a greater risk of falling. Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey adapt to hearing aids, notes psychologist M. Kathleen Pichora-Fuller. Themore peoplewho are outspoken about hearing loss and the need for affordable, effective and accessible hearing help, the more the market will meet that demand. Hearing aid companies are already getting the message, and feeling the competition from the manufacturers of other hearing devices. So are audiologists. Hearing loss is not an obstacle to communication.Thefailureincommunication is a result instead of our personal and societal willful ignorance about hearing loss, our reluctance to acknowledge and treat it. Healthy hearing means healthier ageing. Healthier ageing is happier living. LIVE WELL Adapted from the book Smart Hearing: Strategies, Skills, and Resources for Living Better with Hearing Loss by Katherine Bouton Photo: Getty Images Win a pair of Bose QuietComfort Noise Cancelling Headphones, worth $499. To enter, go to www.o60.me/contests WIN! ADVERTORIAL PROMOTION