If you’ve noticed that you’re not hearing well or you’ve been diagnosed with hearing loss, you are not alone. About 37.5 people in the United States have difficulty hearing. This can range from having to turn up the volume on the TV to complete hearing loss, or deafness. Hearing loss can occur at any age, but the risk increases as you get older. Statistics show that more people in their 60s have hearing loss than any other age group, affecting up to 1 in 3 people 60 and over.
Hearing loss can be isolating. It substantially affects how well you communicate and can lead to increased loneliness and cognitive decline among older adults. “This is highly variable, but we know that untreated hearing loss is associated with risk for depression, says Catherine V. Palmer, PhD, past president of the American Academy of Audiology and professor, Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh.
Studies bear this out, and not it’s not just older people who are affected. Over 11% of adults over the age of 18 who have difficulty hearing say they experienced moderate to severe depression. That is about 5% higher than adults who don’t have hearing loss. Women and those younger than 70 seemed to experience depression the most.
Social isolation is another problem related to hearing loss, Palmer says. This contributes to negative well-being, and low self-esteem, and self-confidence. “If you are not sure if you have heard things correctly, you worry about guessing incorrectly and looking foolish or like you are not understanding what is being communicated,” Palmer adds. This could even lead to you talking too much in an effort to hide that you can’t hear what is going on, giving people a false impression of who you really are.
On the other side of the spectrum, hearing loss may also cause anxiety, particularly among younger adults, those aged from 20 to 64. The anxiety could be related to the fear of how you’re perceived because you misunderstand things or because you’re worried about it getting worse.
Other issues linked to hearing loss may not be as obvious but can be serious. For example, if you can’t hear properly, you may misinterpret or not follow instructions after a doctor’s appointment or a medical procedure. This can lead to complications and possibly hospitalizations.
Signs Hearing Loss Is Affecting Your Life
Younger people are also affected by hearing loss, and the impact on their lives can be different. “It really defines who they are,” says Gary Small, MD, chair of Psychiatry, Hackensack University Medical Center. “It’s going to shape their self-perception and how they deal with life.”
Young or old, some indications of not hearing clearly can lead to signs of other problems. “Signs of mental issues can be both physical and emotional,” Small said. “Insomnia, poor appetite, and low energy could be physical symptoms consistent with depression or anxiety.” Other behaviors, like forgetfulness, repeating questions, and trouble solving problems could be early symptoms of cognitive decline.
But it doesn’t have to be like that. Almost 30 million people in the U.S. with hearing disorders could benefit from hearing aids. That is most of those who have hearing loss.
Waiting Makes Things Worse
According to Palmer, it often takes people about 7 years from when they recognize something wrong to when they seek help for it. The timeline does vary though. “The more difficulty [patients] perceive, the sooner they'll come in, but even with that, it is a 4- to 5-year delay,” she says.
Delays could be for many reasons. For some, it’s the stigma of hearing loss and fear of people seeing that they wear a hearing aid. In Vermonter Tom Ward’s case, it was denial. The 71-year-old retired forester didn’t wait too long -- only 6 months -- but he didn’t go sooner because he didn’t believe his wife when she told him his hearing was failing. “When I finally went, the gal at the hearing center said that was very common,” he says. “She told me you are wrong, and your wife is right!”
Costs for testing may be another concern, but it might not have to be. “Hearing tests are provided by audiologists and typically covered by any insurance plan,” Palmer explains. That said, hearing aids themselves are not cheap, costing as much as $5,000 for certain types. While some insurance policies may provide partial coverage, not all do.
“I was under the impression that my insurance would cover some of the cost,” Ward says, “but it didn’t.” Medicare also doesn’t help pay for hearing aids. But there’s hope. In 2022, the FDA approved the sale of over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids for people with mild-to-moderate hearing loss. This has dropped prices quite a bit.
It Takes Time to Adjust
It can take time to get used to hearing aids. The average is about 2 to 3 weeks. Some people expect the effect to be the same as when you get a new pair of glasses. Suddenly things you see are sharper and clearer, but hearing is a bit more complicated than that.
Hearing aids amplify all the sounds around you, including the background noise we naturally filter. So that takes some getting used to. If it’s been a while since you haven’t heard well, everything – including your voice – may seem extraordinarily loud. You might have to get a few adjustments to get the settings right for you.
What to Do if You’re Feeling the Effects of Hearing Loss
Small offers some tips to help people who are feeling depressed or isolated due to hearing loss:
- Spend time with other people who have a positive attitude. He says that being with people who are optimistic can lift your mood. They can also be your sounding board if you need one.
- Be realistic about your hearing issues and adjust your life accordingly. Don’t be shy about asking someone nicely to repeat themselves. This is better than avoiding the conversations and retreating and isolating yourself.
- Get into a regular exercise routine to help reduce your overall risk for cognitive decline, anxiety, and depression. It doesn’t have to be lengthy. Thirty minutes of brisk walking will do it.
- Avoid situations that make it difficult to hear, such as loud concerts, restaurants, etc.
- Get in touch with your other senses -- touch, taste, sight -- to enhance your everyday life and feel less like you are missing out.
The important thing is not to wait to seek help, Small advises. And Ward agrees. He wishes he’d gone for testing sooner, he says. Not only did his hearing improve, but his speech did, too. Ward had begun to mumble, his wife told him, and once he could hear his voice better, his speech became clearer.
Show Sources
Photo Credit: E+ / Getty Images
SOURCES:
Hearing Health Foundation: “Protecting Your Hearing Means Protecting Your Mental Health.”
HelpGuide.org: “Hearing and Mental Health.”
Johns Hopkins Medicine: “Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids: Frequently Asked Questions.”
National Institute on Aging: “Hearing Loss: A Common Problem for Older Adults.”
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders: “Quick Statistics About Hearing.”
JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery: “Hearing Impairment Associated with Depression in US Adults, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005-2010.”
Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery: “Hearing Loss, Loneliness, and Social Isolation: A Systemic Review.”
The Eye & Ear Foundation of Pittsburgh: “Everything You Need to Know About Hearing Aids.”
The Harvard Gazette: “New hope for easing stigma and isolation of hearing loss.”
The White House: “FACT SHEET: Cheaper Hearing Aids Now in Stores Thanks to Biden-Harris Administration Competition Agenda.”
FDA: “FDA Finalizes Historic Rule Enabling Access to Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids for Millions of Americans,” “Hearing Aid Benefits and Limitations.”
