Hearing in colour
“It always felt as though I was hearing in black and white. Suddenly I am hearing in colour!”
“After many years I feel as though I have normal hearing again.”
“I would recommend anyone who suspects a hearing loss to get hearing aids. It changed my life.”
This is what hearing aid users have to say about how this technology has changed their lives.
Hearing aids are no longer just about allowing people to hear in the here and now, but about long term brain health.
It is important to understand that there can be a positive impact on long term brain health by correcting a person's hearing.
A healthy lifestyle, a nutritious diet and regular exercise – these are some of the basic components of keeping one's body fit and healthy. Unfortunately less emphasis is placed on keeping one's brain fit and healthy.
Age-related hearing loss (presbyacusis) is the cumulative effect of ageing on hearing. Approximately one in three people between the age of 65 and 74 suffer from hearing loss, and nearly half of those older than 75 experience difficulty hearing. Presbyacusis typically affects both ears equally and happens gradually over a period of time. Due to this gradual onset, people often do not realize that they have hearing loss.
Symptoms of presbyacusis include:
• Difficulty hearing speech within background noise
• Difficulty understanding a conversation (people often complain they can hear, but they cannot understand)
• Ringing noise in the ears (tinnitus)
Hearing starts with the brain – the ears detect sounds and the brain processes and interprets them. The brain also helps one focus on a conversation, filtering out unwanted noise. When hearing is compromised, the sound signals that the brain is used to processing, are different and it takes more effort to fill in the blanks.
The extra effort of trying to keep up with conversations in social settings or following discussions in business meetings, can leave you tired and frustrated, leading to withdrawal from these situations.
Dementia is a general term for a decline in mental ability severe enough to interfere with daily functioning. Dementia is not a specific disease, but an overall term that includes a wide range of symptoms. These symptoms include:
• Memory loss
• Impaired communication and language
• Inability to focus/pay attention
• Impaired visual perception
Dementia is caused by damage to brain cells which interferes with their ability to communicate with each other. When brain cells cannot communicate normally, it is found that thinking, behaviour and feelings can be affected.
Hearing loss and dementia are both highly prevalent neurological conditions in older adults. Both these conditions have a considerable impact on quality of life.
Hearing loss and dementia
A growing body of literature suggests that these two conditions are interrelated and that hearing loss may be a risk factor for the development of dementia in older adults.
Several reasons for this have been identified. One line of thought is based on the impact of hearing loss on cognitive processing. Past studies have shown that even early stages of hearing loss are linked to cognitive decline. The theory is that when the brain's ability to process sound is compromised, a person's ability to understand speech declines.
The hearing areas of the brain become weaker, and the areas of the brain that are necessary for higher level thinking then attempts to compensate for the weaker areas. When they step in and try to take over for hearing, they are unavailable to do their primary cognitive jobs (thinking, problem solving and reasoning).
Another common theory among the research community has been that the link between hearing loss and cognitive decline is related to a loss of socialisation. People with hearing loss are more likely to avoid social situations due to frustration or embarrassment. Loss of socialisation can in turn lead to depression.
However, research shows that engaging in social situations is one of the best activities to preserve cognitive function. The complexity of this environment and having multiple conversations is very healthy for the brain.
If a person is hesitant to socialise because they struggle with hearing loss and they could do better if they wore hearing aids for amplification, then they should be doing that. Both social isolation and depression have been shown to contribute towards dementia.
A recent study in France focused on determining whether hearing loss contributed to cognitive decline with age, and if hearing aids offset the effect. A group of 3 670 adults were followed over a 25-year period and it was found that there was no difference in cognitive decline between adults with normal hearing and adults wearing hearing aids. However, a significant decline in cognitive functioning was found in adults with untreated hearing loss.
Ensure brain health
Activities proven to improve brain health are playing games like Sudoku, socialising with friends and family, and timeous hearing aid fitting when hearing loss is detected which prevents auditory deprivation.
Auditory deprivation occurs when the hearing nerve is not stimulated enough. Untreated hearing loss can result in auditory deprivation which can lead to the weakening of the entire auditory system.
Hearing loss in adults develops gradually and typically there would be a long period during which the auditory system and areas of the brain are deprived of adequate sound. The areas responsible for hearing and understanding speech can become lazy. Once those areas have started losing their functioning, they cannot be repaired. Therefore the most common cause of auditory deprivation of the hearing system is not treating hearing loss with amplification.
Current hearing aid
technology
Current technology is aimed at preserving as much natural sound and detail as possible to ensure that the brain receives the quality input needed to make sense of sound. More sound information means that the brain doesn't have to work as hard to understand what is being said. This significantly reduces the user's cognitive load.
Hearing aids can also connect directly to mobile phones and other external devices that stream audio directly to the hearing aids.
Current hearing aids are discreet and streamlined which ensures that they are not conspicuous. They are also lightweight and easy to adapt to.
• [email protected]
“After many years I feel as though I have normal hearing again.”
“I would recommend anyone who suspects a hearing loss to get hearing aids. It changed my life.”
This is what hearing aid users have to say about how this technology has changed their lives.
Hearing aids are no longer just about allowing people to hear in the here and now, but about long term brain health.
It is important to understand that there can be a positive impact on long term brain health by correcting a person's hearing.
A healthy lifestyle, a nutritious diet and regular exercise – these are some of the basic components of keeping one's body fit and healthy. Unfortunately less emphasis is placed on keeping one's brain fit and healthy.
Age-related hearing loss (presbyacusis) is the cumulative effect of ageing on hearing. Approximately one in three people between the age of 65 and 74 suffer from hearing loss, and nearly half of those older than 75 experience difficulty hearing. Presbyacusis typically affects both ears equally and happens gradually over a period of time. Due to this gradual onset, people often do not realize that they have hearing loss.
Symptoms of presbyacusis include:
• Difficulty hearing speech within background noise
• Difficulty understanding a conversation (people often complain they can hear, but they cannot understand)
• Ringing noise in the ears (tinnitus)
Hearing starts with the brain – the ears detect sounds and the brain processes and interprets them. The brain also helps one focus on a conversation, filtering out unwanted noise. When hearing is compromised, the sound signals that the brain is used to processing, are different and it takes more effort to fill in the blanks.
The extra effort of trying to keep up with conversations in social settings or following discussions in business meetings, can leave you tired and frustrated, leading to withdrawal from these situations.
Dementia is a general term for a decline in mental ability severe enough to interfere with daily functioning. Dementia is not a specific disease, but an overall term that includes a wide range of symptoms. These symptoms include:
• Memory loss
• Impaired communication and language
• Inability to focus/pay attention
• Impaired visual perception
Dementia is caused by damage to brain cells which interferes with their ability to communicate with each other. When brain cells cannot communicate normally, it is found that thinking, behaviour and feelings can be affected.
Hearing loss and dementia are both highly prevalent neurological conditions in older adults. Both these conditions have a considerable impact on quality of life.
Hearing loss and dementia
A growing body of literature suggests that these two conditions are interrelated and that hearing loss may be a risk factor for the development of dementia in older adults.
Several reasons for this have been identified. One line of thought is based on the impact of hearing loss on cognitive processing. Past studies have shown that even early stages of hearing loss are linked to cognitive decline. The theory is that when the brain's ability to process sound is compromised, a person's ability to understand speech declines.
The hearing areas of the brain become weaker, and the areas of the brain that are necessary for higher level thinking then attempts to compensate for the weaker areas. When they step in and try to take over for hearing, they are unavailable to do their primary cognitive jobs (thinking, problem solving and reasoning).
Another common theory among the research community has been that the link between hearing loss and cognitive decline is related to a loss of socialisation. People with hearing loss are more likely to avoid social situations due to frustration or embarrassment. Loss of socialisation can in turn lead to depression.
However, research shows that engaging in social situations is one of the best activities to preserve cognitive function. The complexity of this environment and having multiple conversations is very healthy for the brain.
If a person is hesitant to socialise because they struggle with hearing loss and they could do better if they wore hearing aids for amplification, then they should be doing that. Both social isolation and depression have been shown to contribute towards dementia.
A recent study in France focused on determining whether hearing loss contributed to cognitive decline with age, and if hearing aids offset the effect. A group of 3 670 adults were followed over a 25-year period and it was found that there was no difference in cognitive decline between adults with normal hearing and adults wearing hearing aids. However, a significant decline in cognitive functioning was found in adults with untreated hearing loss.
Ensure brain health
Activities proven to improve brain health are playing games like Sudoku, socialising with friends and family, and timeous hearing aid fitting when hearing loss is detected which prevents auditory deprivation.
Auditory deprivation occurs when the hearing nerve is not stimulated enough. Untreated hearing loss can result in auditory deprivation which can lead to the weakening of the entire auditory system.
Hearing loss in adults develops gradually and typically there would be a long period during which the auditory system and areas of the brain are deprived of adequate sound. The areas responsible for hearing and understanding speech can become lazy. Once those areas have started losing their functioning, they cannot be repaired. Therefore the most common cause of auditory deprivation of the hearing system is not treating hearing loss with amplification.
Current hearing aid
technology
Current technology is aimed at preserving as much natural sound and detail as possible to ensure that the brain receives the quality input needed to make sense of sound. More sound information means that the brain doesn't have to work as hard to understand what is being said. This significantly reduces the user's cognitive load.
Hearing aids can also connect directly to mobile phones and other external devices that stream audio directly to the hearing aids.
Current hearing aids are discreet and streamlined which ensures that they are not conspicuous. They are also lightweight and easy to adapt to.
• [email protected]
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