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

Hearing loss is a significant public health problem

Randall S. Fong, MD
Conditions
October 4, 2022
Share
Tweet
Share

Hearing loss can be a real pain in the rear. Aside from its annoyance on friends and loved ones, it can pose a significant health problem. For instance, there is growing evidence linking hearing loss and dementia.

Yes, impaired hearing can lead to dementia, which is an impairment of cognition. Cognition is the mental process that allows one to acquire knowledge and understanding through thought. It is the function of the intellect, the ability to think. It’s the mind’s ability to rationalize, solve problems and reach correct conclusions about experiences and perceptions. It encompasses memory, comprehension, reasoning, use of logic, computation, problem-solving, and judgment. It requires input to the brain from the outside world via the five senses (vision, hearing, touch, smell, and taste).

Dementia is a decline or loss of cognitive function. The mental processes are impaired. Symptoms include memory problems, impaired reasoning, difficulty with making decisions and solving problems, diminished ability to communicate, and impaired comprehension (difficulty understanding what is communicated).

Human speech and communication are vital for normal cognitive function. This requires good hearing. Sensory input from the ear travels via nerves to the brain’s speech and language centers (for more on the inner ear and sound, see Hearing and How the Ear Processes Sound). From there, the brain processes the sound input to make sense of it. This allows the individual to make proper decisions and take appropriate actions.

Age-related hearing loss, called presbycusis, is a natural phenomenon of aging. It’s rather prevalent; most folks over 70 years old have some hearing loss. Yet it is vastly undiagnosed and undertreated. In contrast, most people with visual impairment are treated early, for instance, with corrective lenses.

Hearing loss causes problems with the detection of speech sounds and reduced word recognition. This leads to reduced comprehension, a decline in the ability to understand the spoken word or a misunderstanding of what is communicated. This leads to problems processing the auditory input since the input is unclear or confusing. People with hearing loss expend more effort and energy to process this unclear and jumbled input at the expense of other cognitive functions, depleting one’s cognitive reserve. In other words, cognitive functions such as memory, reasoning, problem-solving, etc., can be sacrificed to give more attention to processing the suboptimal sensory input from the ears. These cognitive functions may deteriorate from underuse.

Perceiving sound and understanding speech are worsened where there are other distractions such as background noise, for instance, in group settings such as restaurants, meetings, or gatherings with multiple people conversing at once. Impaired communication and comprehension can lead to an inability to engage with other people. If a person cannot engage meaningfully with others, this may lead to a withdrawal from social activities; and social isolation is another risk factor for dementia.

Improving sensory input such as hearing can prevent or reduce the risk of dementia or slow its progress. The most common means is amplification with properly fitted and programmed hearing aids. Naturally, this requires hearing testing (audiometric testing) by a qualified audiologist. If an unusual finding on the test is noted, then an evaluation by an ENT doctor is required.

The federal government and some insurers recognize hearing loss as a significant public health problem, affecting a vast population segment, and requires detection and treatment. Hopefully, in the future, more insurance companies will provide coverage for hearing testing (Medicare does, if ordered by a physician) and cover the cost of hearing aids (which can be quite expensive) for their insureds.

Randall S. Fong is an otolaryngologist and can be reached at his self-titled site, Randall S. Fong, as well as his blog.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

Where are we going with monkeypox?

October 4, 2022 Kevin 0
…
Next

The reality of being a physician and a son at the same time

October 4, 2022 Kevin 0
…

Tagged as: Otolaryngology

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Where are we going with monkeypox?
Next Post >
The reality of being a physician and a son at the same time

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

More by Randall S. Fong, MD

  • The surprising power of laughter and creativity in medical training

    Randall S. Fong, MD
  • Inside the grueling life of a surgery intern

    Randall S. Fong, MD
  • The myth of wealthy doctors: Why business education is vital for every physician

    Randall S. Fong, MD

Related Posts

  • Low income is a neglected public health issue

    Vania Silva
  • Why working at polling locations is good public health

    Rob Palmer, Isaac Freedman, and Josh Hyman
  • Our public health efforts depend on flexibility and trust

    John Connolly
  • The public health solution to gun deaths

    Nancy Dodson, MD, MPH, Jeffrey Oestreicher, MD and Nina Agrawal, MD
  • Should the government regulate hearing aids as consumer electronic products?

    Shari A. Hicks, CPhT
  • Are negative news cycles and social media injurious to our health?

    Rabia Jalal, MD

More in Conditions

  • JFK warned us about physical fitness. Sixty years later, we’re still not listening.

    Alexandre Bourcier, MD
  • My journey from misdiagnosis to living fully with APBD

    Jeff Cooper
  • Why shared decision-making in medicine often fails

    M. Bennet Broner, PhD
  • She wouldn’t move in the womb—then came the rare diagnosis that changed everything

    Amber Robertson
  • Diabetes and Alzheimer’s: What your blood sugar might be doing to your brain

    Marc Arginteanu, MD
  • How motherhood reshaped my identity as a scientist and teacher

    Kathleen Muldoon, PhD
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • How dismantling DEI endangers the future of medical care

      Shashank Madhu and Christian Tallo | Education
    • How scales of justice saved a doctor-patient relationship

      Neil Baum, MD | Physician
    • “Think twice, heal once”: Why medical decision-making needs a second opinion from your slower brain (and AI)

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Tech
    • My journey from misdiagnosis to living fully with APBD

      Jeff Cooper | Conditions
    • Do Jewish students face rising bias in holistic admissions?

      Anonymous | Education
    • Why shared decision-making in medicine often fails

      M. Bennet Broner, PhD | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • What’s driving medical students away from primary care?

      ​​Vineeth Amba, MPH, Archita Goyal, and Wayne Altman, MD | Education
    • Internal Medicine 2025: inspiration at the annual meeting

      American College of Physicians | Physician
    • A faster path to becoming a doctor is possible—here’s how

      Ankit Jain | Education
    • Residency as rehearsal: the new pediatric hospitalist fellowship requirement scam

      Anonymous | Physician
    • Are quotas a solution to physician shortages?

      Jacob Murphy | Education
    • The hidden bias in how we treat chronic pain

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD | Meds
  • Recent Posts

    • ER threats aren’t rare anymore—they’re routine

      Patrick Hudson, MD | Physician
    • JFK warned us about physical fitness. Sixty years later, we’re still not listening.

      Alexandre Bourcier, MD | Conditions
    • The silent threat in health care layoffs

      Todd Thorsen, MBA | Tech
    • Why true listening is crucial for future health care professionals [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Love on life support: a powerful reminder from the ICU

      Syed Ahmad Moosa, MD | Physician
    • Surviving kidney disease and reforming patient care [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast

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 2 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

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • How dismantling DEI endangers the future of medical care

      Shashank Madhu and Christian Tallo | Education
    • How scales of justice saved a doctor-patient relationship

      Neil Baum, MD | Physician
    • “Think twice, heal once”: Why medical decision-making needs a second opinion from your slower brain (and AI)

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Tech
    • My journey from misdiagnosis to living fully with APBD

      Jeff Cooper | Conditions
    • Do Jewish students face rising bias in holistic admissions?

      Anonymous | Education
    • Why shared decision-making in medicine often fails

      M. Bennet Broner, PhD | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • What’s driving medical students away from primary care?

      ​​Vineeth Amba, MPH, Archita Goyal, and Wayne Altman, MD | Education
    • Internal Medicine 2025: inspiration at the annual meeting

      American College of Physicians | Physician
    • A faster path to becoming a doctor is possible—here’s how

      Ankit Jain | Education
    • Residency as rehearsal: the new pediatric hospitalist fellowship requirement scam

      Anonymous | Physician
    • Are quotas a solution to physician shortages?

      Jacob Murphy | Education
    • The hidden bias in how we treat chronic pain

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD | Meds
  • Recent Posts

    • ER threats aren’t rare anymore—they’re routine

      Patrick Hudson, MD | Physician
    • JFK warned us about physical fitness. Sixty years later, we’re still not listening.

      Alexandre Bourcier, MD | Conditions
    • The silent threat in health care layoffs

      Todd Thorsen, MBA | Tech
    • Why true listening is crucial for future health care professionals [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Love on life support: a powerful reminder from the ICU

      Syed Ahmad Moosa, MD | Physician
    • Surviving kidney disease and reforming patient care [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast

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

Hearing loss is a significant public health problem
2 comments

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

Loading Comments...