Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

How hearing is connected to well-being

Amy Sarow, AuD
Conditions
August 23, 2022
Share
Tweet
Share

As an audiologist, treating hearing loss is a part of my everyday life. Even still, I’m sometimes amazed at the difference hearing aids can make in patients’ lives. For example, recently, when an older patient with longstanding hearing loss was fitted with a pair of hearing aids, he was suddenly able to participate in conversation with his son again. The smile across his face said everything.

Hearing well can slow cognitive decline.

Older patients’ lack of engagement in conversation or lost conversation threads can be attributed to cognitive decline. However, hearing loss is an invisible disability. It is not always clear when someone misunderstands a conversation, whether it is due to hearing difficulty or cognitive decline. That is why hearing health should be a part of a routine annual health exam for the same reason we have annual physicals or vision exams.

It is frustrating for families with loved ones struggling with cognitive decline. That’s why it’s important to stay on top of hearing health to help maintain cognitive health.

In 2017, the WHO identified hearing loss as the leading modifiable risk factor for cognitive decline when identified and addressed at age 45 to 64.

It is much easier to maintain cognitive function and prevent its decline when treated early than to try to mitigate its effects after cognitive decline has taken hold.

Additionally, the trickle-down effects of untreated hearing loss can include decreased socialization, leading to depression, anxiety, and reduced quality of life.

Hearing loss can have a big impact on health care costs and income.

Hearing loss can be costly for both patients and the health care system. According to a recent study, those with untreated hearing loss will have an additional $22,434 in health care costs over ten years than patients with normal hearing. Misunderstandings in patient-provider interactions can lead to increased health care costs or misunderstandings regarding medication instructions, for example.

Not only that, but hearing loss can also impact salary. Estimates speculate that employees lose as much as $30,000 per year in annual salary with an untreated hearing loss. This means that untreated hearing loss can cause someone to miss out on earning potential and spend more money on health expenses.

The good news is that for many people with hearing loss, treatment can make a big difference in overall health and well-being as well as financial health.

Why hearing can affect cognition and how treatment can help

Hearing loss causes distortion in what a person hears, requiring more effort to decode the information and creating additional cognitive load. Cognitive resources are then working harder to interpret the distorted auditory signal through visual cues, meaning that there are fewer cognitive resources available for higher-level processing (e.g., the meaning behind the words, tone of voice, etc.).

ADVERTISEMENT

A growing body of research is backing this up and showing that early hearing loss intervention can slow cognitive decline. For example, an fMRI study showed that before being fitted with a hearing aid, individuals had less activation in areas of the brain for auditory and language processing and more in the visual.

After one year of hearing aid use, participants had increased brain activity in the areas of auditory and language centers and areas for multimodal integration. This means that participants were much better able to process and make sense of the information coming in, freeing up cognitive resources for higher-up processing.

Bottom line

Patients listen to and value physician insight to their health. Regular hearing evaluations can help maintain cognitive health, mental health, overall well-being, and financial health. Encouraging patients to treat their hearing loss has a multitude of advantages, and your recommendation might be just what they need to take that first step.

Amy Sarow is an audiologist.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

Management of acute postoperative pain reveals systemic flaws in health care policy

August 23, 2022 Kevin 5
…
Next

Advancing health equity conversations through cultural humility

August 23, 2022 Kevin 4
…

Tagged as: Otolaryngology

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Management of acute postoperative pain reveals systemic flaws in health care policy
Next Post >
Advancing health equity conversations through cultural humility

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

  • Should the government regulate hearing aids as consumer electronic products?

    Shari A. Hicks, CPhT
  • The dangers of being always connected

    Greg Smith, MD
  • HIV/AIDS vaccine underscores need for better health access

    Alyson O’Daniel, PhD
  • People who take opioids are the AIDS patients of today

    Heather Finlay-Morreale, MD
  • We must disrupt harm

    Julie Craig, MD
  • A letter to 2020 interns

    Wendy Peltier, MD

More in Conditions

  • Addressing menstrual health inequities in adolescents

    Callia Georgoulis
  • Healing beyond the surface: Why proper chronic wound care matters

    Alvin May, MD
  • Why specialist pain clinics and addiction treatment services require strong primary care

    Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD
  • What a childhood stroke taught me about the future of neurosurgery and the promise of vagus nerve stimulation

    William J. Bannon IV
  • Facing terminal cancer as a doctor and mother

    Kelly Curtin-Hallinan, DO
  • Why doctors must stop ignoring unintentional weight loss in patients with obesity

    Samantha Malley, FNP-C
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Forced voicemail and diagnosis codes are endangering patient access to medications

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Meds
    • Why specialist pain clinics and addiction treatment services require strong primary care

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Conditions
    • Who gets to be well in America: Immigrant health is on the line

      Joshua Vasquez, MD | Policy
    • When a medical office sublease turns into a legal nightmare

      Ralph Messo, DO | Physician
    • America’s ER crisis: Why the system is collapsing from within

      Kristen Cline, BSN, RN | Conditions
    • FDA delays could end vital treatment for rare disease patients

      GJ van Londen, MD | Meds
  • Past 6 Months

    • Forced voicemail and diagnosis codes are endangering patient access to medications

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Meds
    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The One Big Beautiful Bill and the fragile heart of rural health care

      Holland Haynie, MD | Policy
    • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

      Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD | Physician
    • Here’s what providers really need in a modern EHR

      Laura Kohlhagen, MD, MBA | Tech
  • Recent Posts

    • How Project ECHO is fighting physician isolation and transforming medical education [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Why clinical research is a powerful path for unmatched IMGs

      Dr. Khutaija Noor | Education
    • Addressing menstrual health inequities in adolescents

      Callia Georgoulis | Conditions
    • How to advance workforce development through research mentorship and evidence-based management

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Physician
    • The truth about perfection and identity in health care

      Ryan Nadelson, MD | Physician
    • Civil discourse as a leadership competency: the case for curiosity in medicine

      All Levels Leadership | Physician

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 1 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

ADVERTISEMENT

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Forced voicemail and diagnosis codes are endangering patient access to medications

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Meds
    • Why specialist pain clinics and addiction treatment services require strong primary care

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Conditions
    • Who gets to be well in America: Immigrant health is on the line

      Joshua Vasquez, MD | Policy
    • When a medical office sublease turns into a legal nightmare

      Ralph Messo, DO | Physician
    • America’s ER crisis: Why the system is collapsing from within

      Kristen Cline, BSN, RN | Conditions
    • FDA delays could end vital treatment for rare disease patients

      GJ van Londen, MD | Meds
  • Past 6 Months

    • Forced voicemail and diagnosis codes are endangering patient access to medications

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Meds
    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The One Big Beautiful Bill and the fragile heart of rural health care

      Holland Haynie, MD | Policy
    • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

      Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD | Physician
    • Here’s what providers really need in a modern EHR

      Laura Kohlhagen, MD, MBA | Tech
  • Recent Posts

    • How Project ECHO is fighting physician isolation and transforming medical education [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Why clinical research is a powerful path for unmatched IMGs

      Dr. Khutaija Noor | Education
    • Addressing menstrual health inequities in adolescents

      Callia Georgoulis | Conditions
    • How to advance workforce development through research mentorship and evidence-based management

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Physician
    • The truth about perfection and identity in health care

      Ryan Nadelson, MD | Physician
    • Civil discourse as a leadership competency: the case for curiosity in medicine

      All Levels Leadership | Physician

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

How hearing is connected to well-being
1 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...