Mushy Minds from Sound Voids
Is it reasonable to expect that even a mild, untreated hearing loss can relate to the onset and development of dementia and cognitive confusion in older adults? The evidence from multiple research studies show quite clearly the answer is “Yes.” Mild hearing loss is characterized by ‘sound voids’ – periodic loss of clarity when certain speech sounds are lost or scrambled. The brain, the organ of message interpretation, is a greedy consumer of blood sugar and other bio-chemical resources. It has been estimated that attempting to convert a string of speech sounds and interpret them into the messages of speaker, up to 50% of the body’s available blood sugar may be consumed in the effort. When some of the elements of the acoustic stream are unavailable due to the typical pattern of a mild hearing loss, the effort to interpret is increased causing an additional strain on available resources.
The effect is twofold. First, the individual is likely to be more tired from the drain on blood sugar, and second there is a gradual reduction in the brain’s ability to interpret spoken messages. Ambiguity of received messages breeds a kind of ‘mushiness’ in the brain’s ability to interpret future spoken messages. Recent reports from Johns Hopkins University and from the University of Pennsylvania both provide clear indications that dementia and cognitive decline are accelerated rather dramatically in individuals with hearing loss.
These reports from medical journals, and picked up in by the New York Times and elsewhere, show that the degree of hearing loss appears to correlate directly with the likelihood and extent of mental decline in the elderly. Dr. Frank Lin, who directed the work at Johns Hopkins, and colleagues at the National Institute of Aging, show conclusively that hearing loss is a frequently underappreciated contributor to dementia. The 12- year study of hundreds of patients showed that the risk of dementia Doubled with Mild Hearing loss, tripled with Moderately Severe loss, and increase by fivefold for individuals with Severe levels of hearing loss! The good news is properly fit hearing aids have been repeatedly shown to reconstruct vital links in interpersonal communication and support mental wellness.
Direct clinical experience with thousands of patients at the Family Hearing Centers in Colorado, has shown repeatedly that clients with properly fit hearing systems are less likely to be exhausted at the end of the day. The reduction in effort to keep up with the rapidly changing patterns of sounds that constitute spoken messages, leaves more energy for successful living.
Heard A ‘Good One’ Lately ….?
{ “My wife said I never listen to her; at least that’s what I think she said.”}
For clinical references on this important work contact: info@familyhearingco.com www.familyhearing.com
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Why Do Hearing Aids Cost So Much?
Cost versus Value
One of the most frequent questions our clinical staff has to handle is “Why are hearing aids so expensive?” Part of the answer is to examine the meaning of ‘expensive.’ It speaks to the relation of ‘cost” and ‘value.’
What’s the ‘Value’ on a Daily Basis?
Hearing aids are most commonly used every day for approximately 15 hours a day. Good digital hearing aids with solid-state circuitry will typically last approximately 5 years (or longer), which amounts to 1825 days. So, is it worth $3.50 (less than a latte?) a day to hear with less stress, to reduce interpersonal disruptions, to improve work and family relations, and protect the brain from cognitive deterioration …(See our previous Post “Mental Clarity and Hearing Clearly”). It would argue that an investment of $6387 is appropriate. Some professionals, like judges, doctors, and teachers may estimate the daily value to be more like $5 to $10. Others, of course, may have a lower ‘need to hear’ and naturally place a lower daily dollar value on the technology. So, it’s important to think in terms of Value rather than Price.
Extraordinary Signal Processing
However, let’s consider a second aspect of this topic. Advanced hearing aids have remarkable computer processors managing literally Millions of operations every Second – immensely more powerful than computers that took man to the moon. They are capable of sorting out complex Auditory Scenes to determine if a particular frequency region arriving at the listener’s ear is mostly quiet or contains machine noise, noisy speech, or just speech without interference. They can determine the location of speech and other sounds, whether in front, behind, or to the side of the listener, and differentially reduce the sounds away from the direction that the user is looking. These are remarkable signal processing properties for extremely light computer devices operating on less than 1 and ½ Volt. These properties alone, of course, have required increases in the basic cost of the devices.
Expertise of the Professional
But it is especially important to be aware of the critical value of contained in the expertise of the audiologist or hearing professional that fits the devices. This is not a ‘prescription to perfection’ type of procedure, (although a non-trivial cost, is the expense of FDA registration as a Class I medical device). Individual preferences for sound quality and clarity far exceed the simple boundaries of the hearing test, or audiogram. The Technical and Personal Skill of the fitter is an essential aspect of optimizing the most advanced products to the individual. This vital value-add component of the dynamic hearing system naturally needs to be included in the cost analysis. Even the most expensive, advanced hearing system can be disastrous for a particular listener if the settings are not appropriately organized and programmed.
At the Bottom
Finally, on the other end of the price continuum, there are far less expensive hearing devices that may be more appropriate for occasional situational stress. These may either be ‘entry level’ hearing aids, per FDA registration, or at the extreme low price end Personal Sound Amplification Products (PSAPS). PSAPs are a more recent attempt to make available very low cost devices that fly under the FDA registration expense. They are not considered hearing aids, and some people may find some occasional value in some listening situations. Moderate success with such products may make it clear to non-users of hearing aids that they factually do need some occasional amplification. They will almost certainly discover that their benefit is quite limited, as they have neither the advanced signal processing capability discussed above nor the interactive customizing adjustments that a qualified hearing professional can render. At any rate, a Life Style consultation with the hearing professional is vital to disclosing the individual’s specific listening needs and current frustrations. Recommendations that fit the listeners needs and budget should be made, once the hearing professional has done a good job … of Listening.
‘’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’
Heard a Good One Lately ….?
[A man with less than good hearing was examining some trinkets at a flea market.
“What form of payment do you accept?” he asked.
He heard: “Cash, credit cards, and sex”
After blushing and repeating the information to his wife, he was promptly re-informed that, he had (once again) misheard, and that the clerk would happily accept “Checks!”]
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