How Untreated Hearing Loss Affects Overall Health

The average hearing loss patient waits seven years before seeking help, which can take a toll on their quality of life.¹ The longer someone puts off getting treatment, the more likely they are to face negative consequences for their well-being—hearing loss is linked to several common health conditions.

The Impact on Your Health

Your brain makes sense of the sound your ears take in, allowing you to hear. Untreated hearing loss causes your brain to process fewer sounds, leading to some pathways atrophying or being used for other functions, which can contribute to health problems.

People with hearing loss:

· Have three times the risk of falling²

· Are up to five times more likely to develop dementia³

· Are at a greater risk of experiencing depression and social anxiety⁴

· Can struggle to communicate and become socially isolated

Their financial health can also be affected—research shows that untreated hearing loss can decrease one’s annual income by up to $30,000.⁵

How to Cope: Get an Annual Hearing Test

Hearing loss usually develops gradually, making it difficult to notice for many patients. Since early support is key, scheduling an annual hearing test with an audiologist is crucial.

Annual testing will help detect any hearing loss as soon as possible, allowing an audiologist to treat your hearing loss more efficiently and effectively to help you maintain a good overall quality of life.

The Role of Hearing Aids and Communication Strategies

If your audiologist determines that you have hearing loss, hearing aids can help you communicate, connect and even improve your health. Evidence shows that wearing hearing aids can enhance balance,⁶ slow cognitive decline⁷ and reduce depression in patients.⁸

Using communication strategies is another way to make living with hearing loss easier. Turning on your TV’s closed captions, ensuring you can see a person’s face when they’re talking and moving to a quieter location to speak together are all examples of communication-enhancing techniques.

Now’s the time to take control of your hearing—and your health. Call (239) 434-0086 to schedule your hearing evaluation.

1 Hearing Loss Association of America. (n.d.). Do you think you have a hearing loss? https://www.hearingloss.org/wp-content/uploads/HLAA_DoYouThinkYouHave_Hearing-Loss.pdf?pdf=DoYouThink

2 Johns Hopkins Medicine. (2012). Hearing loss linked to three-fold risk of falling. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/media/releases/hearing_loss_linked_to_three_fold_risk_of_falling

3 Johns Hopkins University. (n.d.).The hidden risks of hearing loss. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/the-hidden-risks-of-hearing-loss

4 Mener, DJ et al. (2014). Hearing loss and depression in older adults. J Am Geriatr Soc. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3773611/

5 Hearing Health Foundation. (n.d.). Workplace hearing loss. https://hearinghealthfoundation.org/hearing-loss-in-the-workplace#:~:text=

6 Strait, J. (2016). Hearing aids may improve balance: The Source: Washington University in St. Louis. https://source.wustl.edu/2014/12/hearing-aids-may-improve-balance/

7 Maharani, A et al. (2018). Longitudinal relationship between hearing aid use and cognitive function in older Americans. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29637544/

8 Murray Law, B. (2016). Study links hearing aids, cochlear implantation with improved mental health. ASHA Wire. https://leader.pubs.asha.org/do/10.1044/study-links-hearing-aids-cochlear-implantation-with-improved-mental-health/full/

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The Future of Hearing Devices: Deep Neural Networks & Artificial Intelligence

February 14, 2025

Hearing technology has come a long way over the years; however, one aspect of hearing loss that many hearing aids have difficulty addressing is trouble understanding speech in noise. Fortunately, some of today’s state-of-the-art devices can solve this problem utilizing deep neural networks (DNN) and artificial intelligence (AI). Sensorineural hearing loss causes difficulty understanding speech in background noise. This type of hearing loss is caused by damage to the hair cells of the inner ear that convert soundwaves into electrical energy, which are then interpreted by the brain. This causes the quality and quantity of the signal sent from the ears to the brain to diminish over time, resulting in the brain expending more energy and effort to make sense of it. DNNs may help improve the transmission of the neural code, making hearing easier on the brain. [1] It’s important to know what DNNs are to understand how they can help. DNNs are a subset of AI. They rapidly analyze large data sets so that they can teach hearing aids and other technological devices how to respond to data like a human would, all while verifying accuracy and making corrections. DNNs are beneficial in hearing technology because they can help with speech enhancement. DNNs can be applied as “time-frequency masks,” meaning select sounds—like speech—are allowed while other sounds are suppressed. DNNs can also identify and separate multiple voices, selecting a primary voice to emphasize and secondary voices to suppress. This feature can help hearing device wearers in a variety of settings. For example, at a restaurant or party, the hearing device can emphasize a conversation partner, allow other nearby voices at a reduced volume and suppress background noises such as dishes clinking. Schedule an appointment to talk to Center for Hearing about our vast state-of-the-art hearing solutions today— (239) 434-0086. [1] Published by Douglas L. Beck. (2021, January 15). Deep neural networks in hearing devices. Retrieved April 2, 2021 from https://www.hearingreview.com/hearing-products/hearing-aids/deep-neural-networks

Startup Aims to Develop the First Gene Therapy for Hearing Loss

February 14, 2025

A Boston biotech startup is attempting to develop the first gene therapy treatment for hearing loss. If successful, it promises to offer new hope to the estimated 300,000 Americans who suffer from gene-based hearing loss—a number that includes more than 4,000 newborns. The timing may not be ideal, but biotech companies have been largely immune from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing recession. Developing new drugs takes years, so these companies are better able to weather storms. And the efforts of biotechnology companies that are focusing on tools to prevent and treat potentially fatal health threats has resulted in soaring stock values for many of these companies, even in the face of the current crisis. Akouos, the Boston startup, was founded in 2016. Its goal is to develop the first gene therapy to treat hearing loss and is targeting a specific form of deafness that results from mutations in a single gene. They are experimenting with adeno-associated viruses, using them as vectors to deliver DNA that encodes a functioning gene in certain target cells. Around 7,000 people are afflicted with this type of genetic hearing loss. Adeno-associated viruses are considered viable candidates because they don’t usually cause disease and can be customized to treat a variety of genetic conditions. The company has partnered with two influential organizations: Massachusetts Eye and Ear and Lonza, a Swiss manufacturing company that holds contracts with various pharmaceutical makers. Manny Simons, Akouos’ co-founder and chief executive, holds a degree in neuroscience from Harvard College, a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and an MBA from Harvard Business School. His desire to help those with hearing loss stems from his passion for playing the piano. “It’s easy to take hearing for granted,” said in a Boston Globe interview. “Maybe because music has been important to me, it’s something that I take a little less for granted.” [1] [1] Saltzman, J. (2020, June 22). Akouos, a startup developing a gene therapy for hearing loss, raises IPO value to $125 million - The Boston Globe. Retrieved June 30, 2020, from https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/06/22/business/ipo-upped-akouos-boston-startup-working-gene-therapy-hearing-loss/