October is National Audiology Awareness Month. This is a great time to celebrate the work of audiologists, the healthcare professionals who help their patients diagnose, treat, and manage hearing loss.

In celebration of this yearly benchmark, we’d like to share five surprising facts about hearing aids — and how they could transform your quality of life, and your mental and physical health.

Hearing aids have shown promise in the management of tinnitus, a common phenomenon where one person perceives a persistent sound that nobody else can hear.

Tinnitus is a symptom and not a standalone condition, and while it’s often described as a ringing sound, some report other noises — such as a click, buzz, squeal or hum.

Recent research has shown that…

• As many as 25% of adults have tinnitus¹
  
• Children may also present with tinnitus¹
• And up to 90% of people with tinnitus also have hearing loss²

Given its connection to hearing, it might not surprise you that hearing aids are one of the most common treatment protocols for tinnitus¹.

Hearing aids address this symptom by amplifying external sounds and making tinnitus less prominent or noticeable. Recent studies have shown that up to 68% of people who wear hearing aids for this reason report positive results³.

Hearing loss has related to feelings of loneliness, social isolation and depression as well as a generally low mood⁴.

The impact of even mild to moderate hearing loss can add up over time and leave some of us feeling less than ideal. But don’t worry. We have some hopeful news.

Hearing aids are a great tool for minimizing and managing the social and emotional hurdles that appear alongside hearing loss — and patients with hearing loss who use them report a lower level of psychological distress than those who don’t⁵.

A simple fall is generally a minor issue for young people but a trip, slip or tumble can become a serious hazard for older adults⁶.

Studies have shown that…

• About 20% of older adult falls result in serious injury⁷
• The overwhelming majority of hip fractures are caused by a fall⁸
• And in the US, more than 300,000 hip fractures occur each year⁹

While these numbers may seem discouraging — especially as we get older — we do have evidence to indicate that for those of us with hearing loss, hearing aids could reduce the risk of falls¹⁰.

As we mentioned in our post covering hearing loss, Alzheimer’s and dementia, hearing aids have shown potential in minimizing the memory problems that appear as we get older.

Recent studies have shown that…

• Hearing loss is more prevalent in adults with dementia¹¹
• The overall risk of dementia decreases with hearing aid use¹²
• And adults with high risk of dementia may have the opportunity to slow cognitive decline by wearing hearing aids¹³

While the exact reason for this connection isn’t clear, we have strong evidence to suggest that adequate hearing support can change our experience of aging and improve our quality of life.

When your hearing isn’t at a hundred percent, navigating daily life and straining to hear in conversations can become exhausting.

Over time, the extra effort expended tends to add up and for some, fatigue may set in¹⁴.

While results have varied, some studies suggest that fatigue is lower in patients who manage their hearing loss with hearing aids. We also have significant evidence that hearing aids reduce what experts call listening fatigue — or the sense of exhaustion that occurs when we’re constantly straining to hear¹⁵.

Clearly, the work of audiologists is crucial, and these professionals transform patient lives in more ways than one.

If you think you could benefit from hearing support, you can consult with your doctor or audiologist to explore your best options, and find out if you’re a fit for conventional or OTC hearing devices.