Mark Sanford, President of CSG Better Hearing

This research/article shows a definitive relationship between a person with hearing loss and their risk of developing mental problems.  I have seen this for the past 26 years in my audiology and hearing aid dispensing career.

The longer a person with a hearing loss waits before getting help, their quality of life suffers both mentally as well as in relationships with family and friends.  The longer a person with hearing loss waits before getting hearing help is increasing the chances of getting dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, or some other mental problem.

Please click to read the full article here, or where it originally appeared on the NY Times blog here.

We invite you to phone us as (650) 322-0384 for a complimentary, no-obligation hearing evaluation.

http://betterhearing.com

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Walnut Creek, CA 94595 (map)

Here is another study showing the importance of hearing in adulthood. Hearing is like a muscle in the fact it needs exercise to remain functioning well. Musicians are exercising their hearing muscles on a regular basis, so that training allows them to have ears that are in better shape than someone who is not a musician.

If an adult has hearing loss and does not do anything about it, the hearing system will deteriorate which increases the likely hood of diseases like Alzheimers, mental incapacity, senility, depression, withdrawal.  -Mark Sanford, President of CSG Better Hearing

Click: Musical Training May Preserve, Deter Dementia

Patients need to know that each person is different and each hearing aid is different in sound quality, so they should ask themselves how does the internet know what is the right device for me?  Or how will the internet know the settings that I like?  As the Better Hearing Institute, a non-profit hearing states today’s hearing impaired person should be seen by a credentialed professional and receive hearing devices that are programmed to each person’s specific hearing needs.  A one size fits all internet device does not allow that to occur.   – Mark Sanford, President of CSG Better Hearing

A News Release Issued by the Better Hearing Institute Better Hearing Institute Warns on Do-it-yourself Hearing Care WASHINGTON, D.C., Oct. 12, 2011 — The Better Hearing Institute (BHI) is warning consumers of the inherent risks associated with purchasing over-the-counter, one-size-fits-all hearing aids instead of consulting a hearing healthcare professional. Hearing loss is sometimes the symptom of a serious underlying medical problem. All 50 states require that consumers use a credentialed hearing care professional to purchase hearing aids.

BHI also points out that hearing devices that are purchased over-the-counter or Internet without the consultation of a hearing healthcare professional may result in the devices not being accurately customized to the specific hearing needs of the individual. ”Today’s state-of-the-art hearing aids should be programmed to the individual’s specific hearing loss requirements in order to provide good levels of benefit and customer satisfaction,” says Sergei Kochkin, BHI’s Executive Director. “The process requires a complete in-person hearing assessment in a sound booth; the training and skills of a credentialed hearing healthcare professional in order to prescriptively fit the hearing aids using sophisticated computer programs; and appropriate in-person follow-up and counseling. This is not possible when consumers purchase one-size-fits-all hearing aids over the Internet or elsewhere.”

Extensive research shows that individualized hearing health assessments and fittings programmed specific to the needs of the hearing aid user provide the best chance for optimal hearing enhancement and customer satisfaction. “The best advice BHI can give anyone purchasing a hearing aid is to find a state credentialed hearing healthcare professional and to communicate openly during the evaluation, fitting and trial period to increase the likelihood that you are receiving the best possible benefit from your hearing aids,” says Kochkin. “It will make a tremendous difference in your ability to hear and in your quality of life.”

BHI has published a comprehensive consumer guide entitled, “Your Guide to Buying Hearing Aids.” (See www.betterhearing.org under hearing loss treatment). The guidelines give confidence to first-time hearing aid buyers by providing a detailed, step-by-step explanation of what to expect, ask, and look for when selecting and visiting a hearing healthcare professional and purchasing a hearing aid. BHI also has published, “Your Guide to Financial Assistance for Hearing Aids,” the first comprehensive guide on how people can obtain financial assistance to purchase hearing aids.

More About Hearing Loss and Hearing Aids

The number of Americans with hearing loss has grown to more than 34 million—roughly 11 percent of the U.S. population. Over the past generation, hearing loss among Americans has increased at a rate of 160 percent of U.S. population growth and is one of the most commonly unaddressed health conditions in America today. Numerous studies have linked untreated hearing loss to a wide range of physical and emotional conditions, including impaired memory and ability to learn new tasks, reduced alertness, increased risk of personal safety, irritability, negativism, anger, fatigue, tension, stress, depression, and diminished psychological and overall health. But the vast majority of people with hearing loss can benefit from hearing aids. In fact, eight out of ten hearing aid users report improvements in their quality of life, according to a survey by BHI of more than 2,000 consumers.

Advances in digital technology have dramatically improved hearing aids in recent years, making them smaller with better sound quality. Designs are modern, sleek, and discreet. Clarity, greater directionality, better speech audibility in a variety of environments, better cell phone compatibility, less whistling and feedback than hearing aids of the past, and greater ruggedness for active lifestyles are common features.

This latest research confirms mental ability and hearing loss are closely linked.  People with hearing loss need to receive help when it is diagnosed.

-Mark Sanford, President of CSG Better Hearing

September 21 World Alzheimer’s Day is recognized.  This is the perfect opportunity to raise awareness of the association between hearing health and alzheimers disease and the importance of addressing hearing loss for the benefit of overall cognitive function.

Did you know that older adults with hearing loss appear more likely to develop dementia and their risk increases as hearing loss becomes more severe?  Additionally, for every 10 decibels of hearing loss, the extra risk of developing Alzheimer’s increases by 20 percent.

CSG Better Hearing’s president, Mark Sanford, says, “This latest research confirms mental ability and hearing loss are closely linked.  People with hearing loss need to receive help when it is diagnosed.  If people wait before they get a hearing device, they risk decreased mental capacity over time.  This is the “Use It or Lose It” phenomenon of auditory deprivation.  The longer someone with a hearing loss waits to get help, the harder it is to adapt to a hearing device.

Click here to go to our website where you can read about the study published in the Archives of Neurology.

We invite you to take the first step to better hearing by calling our office today and scheduling your complimentary, no-obligation hearing evaluation. We look forward to being your hearing healthcare partner.