Recently there was a French scientific study which took into consideration nearly 3800 elderly people who were followed over 25 years. It found out that the elderly people who are suffering from hearing loss and are not using hearing aids are at a greater risk of getting dementia. This study also stated that people using hearing aids mitigated the raised risk of dementia. According to the study, people using hearing aids were at a lower risk than compared to those reporting no hearing loss. There were some earlier results from the same French study, which found out that the use of hearing aids also helped in diminishing the risk of cognitive decline.
Risks when not using the Hearing Aids
This study found out that your risk of getting dementia increased by 21% if you have a hearing loss and are not using hearing aids. If you are indeed using the hearing aids there is no greater risk of dementia then those not reporting the hearing loss despite having one. The untreated hearing loss can also increase the risk of disability. Among the people having hearing loss and those who are not using the hearing aids, there is a greater risk of getting a disability by 28% while performing day-to-day activities such as taking a bath and dressing. There is a greater risk of getting disabilities by 13% while you are using instruments such as telephone, managing money and medicine, transportation, and shopping.
In the case of men suffering from hearing loss and not using the hearing aids, this study indicated that there was a 43% greater risk of developing depression than compared to people without any hearing loss or those who were using the aids. There was no such greater risk involved in the case of women. The elderly people who get the hearing aid quickly when they are freshly diagnosed for hearing loss have a lower risk of being diagnosed with depression, anxiety, and dementia over the next 3 years.
Reluctance to Using Hearing Aids
Despite these facts, only 12% of people that are formally diagnosed with a hearing loss go ahead and get the needed devices. This reluctance is present even in those who have insurance coverage to cover a part of the expense, according to the study. There is also a discrepancy in the use of hearing aids among people with different ethnic and racial backgrounds, genders, and geographic locations. The reluctance for using the hearing aids has many reasons such as loss of independence, loss of balance, loss of social interaction, and lesser stimulation to the brain.
Who is getting the hearing aids?
There were more findings by the team from the University of Michigan as they collected data from over 115,000 people over the age of 66 and suffering from hearing loss. The subsequent study indicated that men suffering from hearing loss were more likely to get the hearing aid than women. Only 6.5% of people from Latin heritage got hearing aids for their hearing loss compared to 9.5% African Americans and 13.5% Whites. Almost 37% of people suffering from hearing loss and living in the north-central portion of the U.S. got hearing aids. This was in stark contrast to just 5.9% of people from mountain states getting the device.
To confirm whether you have a hearing loss or not, get in touch with Countryside Hearing Aid Services. Family owned and operated since 1979, Countryside Hearing is a Better Business Bureau A+ Rated business.
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