If you have difficulty hearing you are not alone. Hearing loss is one of the most common health problems affecting 10% of New Zealanders. Effects of hearing loss include difficulty following a conversation, especially in noise; turning up the television and feeling tired at the end of the day after having to concentrate hard to follow conversations (auditory fatigue).

Untreated hearing loss can have wide-ranging effects including loss of self-esteem, depression and social isolation as people often withdraw when it all gets too hard.

Unfortunately – there is more…

Recent research by Frank Lin and his team at the Johns Hopkins
University School of Medicine has found that hearing loss has other “downstream” effects including memory changes, dementia and increased falls. *

Hearing loss increases “cognitive load”, where the brain is overwhelmed with demands on its limited resources. Concentrating hard to follow the conversation means we have fewer resources for other things like memory and maintaining balance.

“Communicating when you have a hearing loss, takes up a lot of brain power. It’s a bit like a computer that runs slower when there is a large program running in the background,” says Maree O’Sullivan, Audiologist.

How do hearing aids keep you active?

Hearing loss is usually gradual, we do not notice the subtle changes we make to our lifestyle to compensate for hearing loss. Acting early and using hearing aids, keeps you active and social. Hearing aids also reduce “cognitive load” as wearers can easily hear the conversation and respond appropriately.

Studies have shown that people who decide to use hearing aids without delaying the decision, have a better chance of a higher quality of life, compared to those who delay the decision. **

Current hearing aid technology

Hearing aid technology continues to develop at a rapid pace. Current hearing aids are highly effective and virtually invisible. They automatically adjust to the listening environment you are in so you can relax, engage and be yourself.

Don’t let hearing loss change your life. It doesn’t have to. Hearing aids keep you active by allowing you communicate easily with reduced the effort.

I attended a gathering of over 600 people and was able to hear conversation directed at me, even though there was an abundance of extraneous noise surrounding me.

My enjoyment of television programmes has also improved immeasurably, where previously I could only guess at what was being said!

Percy K
Remuera