Memory and Hearing Loss – Part 1
There has been a possible link between hearing loss and memory loss identified in older adults.
Conversation becomes difficult when a patient is experiencing hearing loss, a condition which is often met with denial by the patient. The patient may not realize that this undiagnosed hearing loss is affecting their memory.
Many older adults experience some form of mild to moderate hearing loss as their bodies age and all senses diminish. Those with normal hearing may not understand the effect hearing loss has on someone’s ability to effectively remember.
When cognitive functions in older people are diverted from memory to hearing, simple language functions can suffer.
Alzheimer’s and Hearing Loss – Part 3
It has been found possible to effectively diagnose Alzheimer’s patients with hearing loss. This ability to diagnose and treat hearing loss is significant and should be considered with any Alzheimer’s patient, as the symptoms of Alzheimer’s can mask the symptoms of hearing loss.
The human act of hearing and processing sound uses large portions of the brain. This ability to intake, process and comprehend sound can be diminished by the ravaging effects of Alzheimer’s disease.
Even when there has already been a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s or dementia in older adults, correcting a previously undiagnosed case of hearing loss can reduce potential memory loss.
Alzheimer’s and Hearing Loss Part 2
A study published in Clinical Gerontology in 1986 found that 80% of a group of 30 older adults that tested positive for symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease also showed signs of moderate to severe hearing loss.
In the 1986 study, 33% of the tested group with hearing loss was categorized into a less severe degree of senile dementia once the hearing loss was treated. Generally this treatment employed the use of hearing aids.
It is widely known in the medical community that undiagnosed hearing loss can lead to withdrawal from others, which can decline into depression. Depression can also lead to anxiety disorders and is a risk factor common among many Alzheimer’s disease patients.
Alzheimer’s and Hearing Loss – Part 1
Unfortunately, for many older adults, the symptoms of hearing loss can mimic the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, making someone experiencing both medical problems difficult to diagnose. These symptoms can include confusion, misunderstanding conversation and declining short term memory.
One of the first symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease that makes itself apparent is requesting the same information repeatedly. This is also an early symptom of hearing loss, often happening because the patient with hearing loss cannot understand the words being spoken.
Another symptom of Alzheimer’s disease is trouble joining into or following a conversation. This symptom is identical to an early signal of hearing loss, where the patient has difficulty following conversation in noisy surroundings.
Hearing Aids and Phones
A hearing aid feature called a telecoil can assist hearing over landline phones.
There is a feature available as an additional accessory to most types of hearing aids called a telecoil. The telecoil feature was originally added to traditional hearing aids in order for the user to hear conversation over the phone. The telecoil works by “reading†the changes in magnetic fields which represent transmitted sound. Older landline phones utilized large magnets in their speakers in order for any sound to be heard through the receiver. Even many newer phones are equipped with magnets and additional electronics that make them hearing aid compatible.
Coming To Terms With A Hearing Loss
Often, in cases of hearing loss, a patient will spend a significant amount of time in denial of the problem. Regardless of how many friends or loved ones tell them there is a problem, the patient will just not admit to a medical condition. Under constant pressure, a hearing loss patient may lash out against those who try to remind them there is something wrong. It is not uncommon for people in denial of a medical condition to lash out at those closest to them first. This generally includes immediate family members and close friends.
Overcoming A Hearing Loss and The Need To Be Always Right
It is human nature to think we are right about what we’ve learned throughout our lives and right about the way our bodies are supposed to function. Those lucky people that have never had a medical problem, never been diagnosed with a serious medical condition or never had so much as the common cold have an extraordinarily hard time understanding what is happening when their hearing begins to fail. Their declining ability to hear clearly is in direct opposition of the person’s fundamental view of how their body should function. This need to be right is one of the most challenging issues facing loved ones of someone with hearing loss.
Frustrations a Hearing Loss Causes
One symptom of denial and avoidance is blame. Hearing loss patients may begin to blame themselves for their declining hearing. They may also blame others by accusing them of whispering or mumbling. Patients who blame themselves may become angry that their bodies are not functioning as well as they used to. Patients who blame others, or accuse them of mumbling or whispering, may turn this blame on their spouses and children first. Often, with mild to moderate hearing loss, the ability to hear the pitch of women’s and children’s voices is the first to be lost.
Hearing Loss And Your Confidence
Confidence is key to working relationships, both personal and business relationships. When some patients begin to experience hearing loss, they are often not sure of what is happening to them. Other patients know they are experiencing a problem with their hearing but are in denial of the situation. This denial can last for days, weeks, months or even years before the patient seeks assistance from a hearing professional. This delay in diagnosis and treatment can cause hearing loss to worsen significantly and can affect the patient’s confidence and personal relationships.
Blaming Others For Your Hearing Loss?
No one can be held responsible for our own actions. There is no one, except yourself, in control of your decisions that affect your life. Acknowledging the affect only you can have on your life and health is called personal responsibility. It is no one else’s responsibility to correct potential medical conditions except you. Hearing loss is usually a medical condition that can be corrected with a simple visit to a hearing professional. Untreated hearing loss can often worsen to the point of being irreparable.
