In 2018, a team from the University of Michigan studied a group of older adults who reported they had severe hearing loss to see if hearing aid use impacted how they use our health care system. Some in the group treated their hearing loss with hearing aids, while others did not. Knowing that hearing aids can be a significant investment, the team was curious to find out if the cost of hearing aids was offset ...
Summer is upon us and now, more than ever, we’re looking forward to enjoying outdoor activities — particularly water sports! Unfortunately, with water sports, we also see an increase in swimmer’s ear. What is swimmer’s ear? Swimmer’s ear is an infection found in the outer ear canal, the area that extends from the outer ear (pinna) to the eardrum (tympanic membrane). The medical term for swimmer’s ear is otitis externa. Swimmer ...
Falls are some of the scariest and most frequent injuries suffered by older adults. According to the CDC: • One quarter of people over 65 fall each year • Three million older people go to the ER each year for falls • One in five falls causes a serious injury • Falls account for over $50 billion in medical costs each year There are many reasons why older adults are more prone to falls — from weakness or medication side ...
A few years back, a New York Times article pleaded that the treatment of hearing loss needs “to be taken much more seriously.” Much of the article’s basis for that plea were the numerous mental and physical health consequences of letting hearing loss go untreated, including increased odds of depression, falling, emergency room visits, and, of course, dementia. All are correlations that have been studied broadly and that we dig into regularly in this ...
We don’t need clinical evidence to understand that hearing loss can lead to depression. It's the transitive property of addition brought to life: if a=b and b=c, then a=c. a. If you’re experiencing hearing loss, there’s a good chance you’ll purposefully minimize or avoid social situations (because hearing is a challenge which makes socializing less fun). b. Avoiding social situations and interactions can lead to social isolation ...
