OTC Hearing Aids May Be Coming Soon
Currently in the U.S. hearing aids can only be purchased through a licensed hearing specialist. This can place a hardship on those on limited incomes. With growing evidence that adequate hearing is essential to maintaining cognitive performance, recent tightly controlled research has shown several over-the-counter personal hearing assistance devices performed nearly as well as conventional hearing aids costing thousands more! New…
Read MoreHearing Loss First, then Dementia?
Researchers with the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging have found a strong association between hearing loss and dementia. When compared to individuals with normal hearing, those with mild, moderate, or severe hearing loss had, respectively, a 2, 3, and 5 fold, increased risk of developing dementia over the 18 year study. This correlation held true…
Read MoreHearing Loss and Cognitive Decline
An observational study has found that hearing loss may predict increased cognitive decline in older adults. During six years of follow-up researchers found a 24% higher risk of cognitive deficit in those with hearing loss compared to those with normal hearing. Much more research is needed to understand the mechanisms behind these findings, and whether improving…
Read MoreSecondhand Smoke Associated With Hearing Impairment
Second hand smoke (SHS) associated hearing losses of 15 dB or greater in adolescence is found to be proportional to the level of exposure. In adult former smokers SHS exposure risk, of at least a 25dB impairment, increased 30% and 40% for low/mid and high frequencies, respectively. Never smokers hearing impairment risk increased by 14% for low/mid…
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