There are many causes of hearing loss. The number one cause is age related hearing loss (Presbycusis). Other causes include genetics, chronic ear infections, noise exposure, side effects of certain medications such as chemotherapy and medical conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke. In fact people with Type 2 diabetics are 2.51 times more likely to have hearing loss.
On average, it takes people seven years from the time they think they might have a hearing loss to the time they seek treatment. Hearing loss is a major public health issue that ranks third in line after arthritis & heart disease as one of the most common physical conditions 48 million people in the United States report a hearing loss and 15 million avoid seeking help. At age 65, 1 out of 3 people have hearing loss
There are many signs and symptoms of hearing loss. People will frequently ask for repetition and feel that other people are mumbling. They often feel like they hear speech but don’t understand it. Some people become anxious or tired in social situations because you can’t understand what is being said. And many people experience ringing or buzzing in their ears (tinnitus).
When hearing loss is left untreated, the auditory system is deprived of sound. The ear and the brain are not getting used or activated like when hearing is normal, resulting in atrophy of the auditory nerves and speech processing areas of the brain. This atrophy is called Auditory Deprivation. The longer this occurs, the harder it is to understand speech, and the less success we may have with hearing aids. Prevention is the best cure. It is important to start wearing hearing aids as soon as hearing loss is diagnosed because hearing aids help “exercise” the hearing nerve and the brain. By preventing auditory deprivation, you can help maintain your speech understanding abilities.