Myths and Misconceptions About Hearing, Aging and Hearing Aids by Holly Hosford-Dunn

7/29/2019 Myths and Misconceptions About Hearing, Aging and Hearing Aids by Holly Hosford-Dunn

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Holly Hosford-Dunn PhD

Academy Village, January 23 2013


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#1: Hearing Losses are AllAlike

#2: Dont Need Hearing Aidsfor Mild Hearing Losses

#3 & #4: Hearing Aids DontWork & Theyre all the Same

#1: Hearing Declines with Age

#2: Dont Get Hearing Aids TilYou Really Need Them

#3: Hearing Aids Keep GoingUp in Price

HearingHealthMatters.org

tucsonaudiology.wordpress.com
http://hearinghealthmatters.org/https://tucsonaudiology.wordpress.com/https://tucsonaudiology.wordpress.com/http://hearinghealthmatters.org/


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Hearing Declines with Age


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What Makes Us Think This?

Observational Data ~30 million hearing impaired individuals in US

70% 55 years

Professional Terminology Presbycusis: Hearing Loss 65 years

#1 most prevalent chronic condition in males

#4 most prevalent condition in females


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Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) nature and extent difficult to estimate Rosenhall et al

2006

Noise totally intertwined

Occupational Recreational

Military

Misconception #1: Hearingdeclines with age
http://www.noiseandhealth.org/text.asp?2006/8/31/88/33539http://www.noiseandhealth.org/text.asp?2006/8/31/88/33539http://www.noiseandhealth.org/text.asp?2006/8/31/88/33539http://www.noiseandhealth.org/text.asp?2006/8/31/88/33539http://www.noiseandhealth.org/text.asp?2006/8/31/88/33539http://www.noiseandhealth.org/text.asp?2006/8/31/88/33539


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Hearing thresholds increase withage, especially at high frequencies

Hearing loss increases with age,especially at high frequencies

Misconception #1: hearingdeclines iwth age


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Threshold goes up 1 dB/year at >60 (Lee et al)

Quick Math 20 dB high frequency loss at age 80 d.t. age

But data show HL in 80-90 dB range

60 to 70 dB of age-related hearing loss d.t.environmental factors

Misconception #1: Hearingdeclines with age


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Hearing Declines Mainly from EnvironmentalExposures, NOT Age Itself

TAKE HOME: Lose the Ageist Language

I hear well for my age is not defensible

Protect your hearing

Misconception #1: hearingdeclines with age


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1. All Hearing Losses Are Alike.

2. People with Mild Hearing Losses

Dont Need Hearing Aids.


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What Makes Us Think That?

a bunch of averages

A bunch of frequencies Measures audibility

Categorized


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0 = normal, equalized,averaged

Mild or moderate loss?

Myths 1 & 2: all hearing losses are

alike; you don't need hearing aidsfor mild losses.


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Speech depends on perceptual processing

Perception is a brain process

The Ear is Hooked Up To The Brain

QED: Everybody is different, even if theyhave the same audiogram

Myths 1 & 2: All hearing losses

are alike; you don't need hearingaids for mild losses.


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Audibility is a prerequisite Necessary, but not Sufficient

Speech recognition in noise decreases with age, even if audiogram is normal

Is worse for Olds than Youngs with mild hearingloss (Dubno et al, 1984)

Is worse in the evenings for Olds (Veneman et al, 2012)




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Just because you hear doesnt mean You hear what you need to

You understand what you hear


I hear well for my age is not defensible

Exercise your auditory processing as much andoften as you can




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Dont Get Hearing Aids Until

You REALLY Need Them!


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What Makes Us Think This?

Fear of Dependency

Its actually the other way around use it or lose it

Prescription Device Take it Like a Pill

Stigma

Makes you look oldso dont get them till you are!

Disappearing fast thanks to iPhones & Bluetooth


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Misconception #2: Don't get

hearing aids until you really needthem.


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Get fitted earlier rather than later

When your spouse complains

Make it easy on your brain and your memory

Dont lose it and then try to get it back

Fix it before it becomes a problem

Make them part of your routine while its easy

When memory slips, its hard to learn new routines




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Hearing Aids are For the Young at Heart thosewho are not only in the game but winning the game


Hearing Aids dont make you old

Not hearing you old


http://tucsonaudiology.wordpress.com/2012/05/12/hearing-aids-for-the-young-at-heart/http://tucsonaudiology.wordpress.com/2012/05/12/hearing-aids-for-the-young-at-heart/


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Myth #3: Hearing Aids Dont Work Myth #4: Hearing Aids Are All the Same

We dont. This is deliberate ignorance used forpurposes of denial and avoidance.

People who waited too long.People who dont want help and dont want to take

responsibility. Theyre not here today.


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Hearing Aids Keep GoingUp in Price

Every time a new feature comes out, theprice goes up.


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What Makes Us Think That?

Anchor price is $6000

Nominal value of currency

Heuristics we believe what others say

Technological advances

Moores Law

Koomeys Law

Equated with pills instead of learning & exercise
http://hearinghealthmatters.org/hearingeconomics/2012/back-to-the-future-part-3a-technology-is-a-double-edged-sword/http://hearinghealthmatters.org/hearingeconomics/2012/back-to-the-future-part-3a-technology-is-a-double-edged-sword/


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Relative Price($6K * CPI

increase) Increased 34%

Nominal Price(actual Dollars) Decreased 25%

45% morepurchasingpower nowthan you did in1997

6000

8410

6000

4500

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

9000

1997 2011

Relative Value

Nominal Price

Misconception 3: Hearing aidskeep going up in price


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Hearing Aids Are Getting Better and Cheaper

Easier to operate

Functional in more diverse environments

Work better for complex signals

Speech

Speech in noise

Good Hearing Aids Are expensive

as expensive and twice as effective as 15 years ago

Require training, effort, and regular maintenance

Misconception 3: Hearing aidskeep going up in price


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Audiogram isnt it! Age isnt it!

Hearing Aids arent it!

Price isnt it!

Brain + Ear + Age + Exercise = It


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Stimulate your Ears

to Stimulate your Brain

to Maintain Functionality

to Age Healthily and Happily

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Myths and Misconceptions About Hearing, Aging and Hearing Aids by Holly Hosford-Dunn