New patients profiles

For decades, all audiologists have been selling hearing aids in combination with their hearing services as a hearing care professional providing audiological procedures. This “all-inclusive” system is defended by the entire profession as being essential to the satisfaction of hearing impaired. Still, it is currently being baited with the arrival in 2020 of Over-The-Counter hearing aids (OTC Hearing Aid), which will involve the appearance of new patients profiles seeking audiological services only.

Stand-alone audiological acts

Audiologist's profession is, therefore, on the verge of a profound reform of its sector, obliging it to identify, detail and structure its audiological acts to be able to offer them "à la carte" when necessary. As a reminder, the profession of an audiologist is one that can:

• accurately assess the hearing system
• understand the communication needs of an individual
• determine the effects of this hearing loss
• interpret the results precisely
• advise, choose and sell optimal acoustic solutions
• realize objective and subjective measurements of prosthetic gain
• ensuring the control overtime of the adapted equipment
• monitor hearing progress and compliance

The audiologist does much more than selling hearing aids. He is trained and able to practice numerous other very specifics, recognized and sought-after acts. Moreover, some of its skills will increasingly be exercised remotely via e-audiology.

Bundle or unbundle?

Market figures unanimously show that a small percentage of the hearing impaired are fitted factually. Does this ultimately discredit the historical model which couples audiological services and the sale of hearing aids? What is certain is that new models will appear in audiology, probably in favor of decoupling device sales and services.

Everything indicates that the market will not choose one or the other but the two because there is room for these two models, which in the end are not fundamentally opposed. Let’s be ready for changes in a future where audiology will focus on services dedicated to the hearing impaired via specific audiological acts and mastered by audiologists, the only professionals dedicated to hearing rehabilitation.

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In this article, I want to describe more than 10 points that connect ears to our health. Naturally, all of them have been scientifically demonstrated. The good news comes with hearing aids because with it there are no more identified over-risks compared to people without a hearing loss, all things equal otherwise.

"The seeds of healthy aging are sown early."  

Kofi Annan

Cognitive decline

Those with hearing loss experience a 30-40% greater decline in thinking abilities compared to those without hearing loss. Adults with uncorrected hearing loss are more likely to develop dementia or memory problems.

Fall

Safety/balance people with mild hearing loss (25dbHL) are 3 times more likely to have a history of falling. Every additional 10 decibels of hearing loss increases the chances of falling by 1.4 times.

Depression

Uncorrected hearing loss gives rise to poorer quality of life, isolation and reduced social activity, leading to depression.

Tinnitus

90% of people with tinnitus also have hearing loss. Tinnitus affects 1 in 5 people and can be caused by hearing loss, an ear injury or a circulatory system disorder.

Diabets

Hearing loss is twice as common in people with diabetes compared to those without. 70% of diabetics aged 50 to 69 have hearing loss in high frequencies. Adults whose blood glucose is higher than normal but not enough for a diabetes diagnosis, have a 30% higher rate of hearing loss compared to those with normal blood sugar.

Heart health

The inner ear is extremely sensitive to blood flow. Studies show that a healthy cardiovascular system - a person's heart, arteries, and veins - has a positive effect on hearing. Inadequate blood flow and trauma to the blood vessels of the inner ear can contribute to hearing loss.

Smoking

Current smokers have a 70% higher risk of having hearing loss than nonsmokers.

Hypertension

There is a significant association between high blood pressure and hearing loss. Hypertension can be an accelerating factor of hearing loss in older adults.

Obesity

Higher body mass index (BMI) and larger circumference are associated with increased risk of hearing loss in women.

Ototoxicity

They are more than 200 medications on the market today that are known to cause hearing loss (toxic to the ears). The list of known ototoxic drugs includes: Aspirin, Quinine, Water pills, some anticancer drugs, some anesthetics, environnement chemicals, etc.

Eye Health

Vision helps you identify where a sound is coming from. If you have vision and hearing loss, your ability to target sound location is compromised. The amplification from hearing aids helps compensate for the vision loss.

Osteoporosis

A study linked osteoporosis and hearing loss, theorizing that demineralization of the three middle ear bones may contribute to conductive hearing impairment.

Isolation

Adults 50 years and olders with untreated hearing loss are more likely to report depression, anxiety, anger and frustration, emotional instability and paranoia, than those who wear hearing aids.

Sources for this article :

Olyer, Anne L. (n.d). Untreated Hearing Loss in Adults - A Growing National Epidemic. Retrieved from http://www.asha.orfg/Aud/Articles/Untreated-Hearing-Loss-in-Adults/ | Better Hearing Institute. (n.d.). Hearing Loss Treatment. Retrieved from: http://www.betterhearing.org/hearingpedia/hearing-loss-treatment | Norton, A. (2015). Older Adults’ Hearing Loss May Be Tied to Earlier Death. HealthDay News. Retrieved from http:// health.usnews.com/health-news/articles/2015/09/24/older-adults-hearing-loss-may-be-tied-to-earlier-death | World Health Organization. (2015). Deafness and hearing loss. Retrieved from: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/ factsheets/fs300/en/ | «Cigarette Smoking and Hearing Loss - The Epidemiology of Hearing Loss Study», Journal of the American Medical Association, juin 1998, vol. 279, et “Serum Cotinine Level and Incident Hearing Loss: A Case-Control Study,” Archives of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, novembre 2004, Vol. 130, p 1260-1264. | Bainbridge, K. (n.d.). Diabetes and Hearing Impairment: An Epidemiological Perspective. The American SpeechLanguage-Hearing Association. Retrieved from: http://www.asha.org/aud/articles/diabetes-hearing-impairment/ | Friedland, D. R., Cederberg, C., & Tarima, S. (2009). Audiometic pattern as a predictor of cardiovascular status: Development of a model for assessment of risk. The Laryngoscope, 119:4733-486. Retrieved from: http:// onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/lary.20130/abstract | Agarwal, S., Mishra, A., Jagade, M., Kasbekar, V. & Nagle, S. K. (2013). Effects of Hypertension on Hearing. Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2013 December; 65(Suppl 3): 614–618. Published online 2013 February 17. Retrieved from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/ articles/PMC3889339/ | Lin, F. R., Yaffe, K., Xia, J., Xue, Q., Harris, T. B., Purchase-Helzner, E.,Simonsick, E. M. (2013). Hearing Loss and Cognitive Decline in Older Adults. JAMA Internal Medicine,173(4), 293-299. doi:10.1001/ jamainternmed.2013.1868 | Johns Hopkins Medicine. (2011). Hearing Loss And Dementia Linked in Study. Retrieved from: http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/media/releases/hearing_loss_and_dementia_linked_in_study | Johns Hopkins Medicine. (2012). Hearing Loss Linked to Three-Fold Risk of Falling. Retrieved from: http://www. hopkinsmedicine.org/news/media/releases/hearing_loss_linked_to_three_fold_risk_of_falling | Reinemer, M., & Hood, J. (1999). Untreated Hearing Loss Linked to Depression, Social Isolation in Seniors. Audiology Today, 11(4). Retrieved from: http://www.audiology.org/publications-resources/document-library/untreated-hearing-loss-linkeddepression-social-isolation | Li, C. M. & Hoffman, H. J. (2014). Untangling the Link Between Hearing Loss and Depression. Retrieved from: http://journals.lww. com/thehearingjournal/Fulltext/2014/07000/Untangling_the_Link_ Between_Hearing_Loss_and.2.aspx | Kochkin, S. (2007). The Impact of Untreated Hearing Loss on Household Income. Retrieved from: http://www.betterhearing.org/sites/default/files/hearingpedia-resources/The Impact of Untreated Hearing Loss on Household Income.pdf | Kochkin, S. (2007). The Impact of Untreated Hearing Loss on Household Income. Retrieved from: http://www.betterhearing.org/sites/default/files/hearingpedia-resources/The Impact of Untreated Hearing Loss on Household Income.pdf • The National Institutes of Health (NIH) • National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDC) • National Council on Aging (NCOA) • Sergei Kochkin, Ph.D. The Impact of Treated Hearing Loss on Quality of Life - Better Hearing Institute, Washington, DC. www.betterhearing.org/Hearingpedia • Frank Lin, M.D. (2014) Hearing Loss Linked to Accelerated Brain Tissue Loss. • Johns Hopkins Medicine News Release. Date de parution : 22 janvier 2014 • Ha-Sheng Li-Korotky, Au.D., Ph.D., M.D. (2012) Age-Related Hearing Loss: Quality of Care for Quality of Life. The Gerontologist, Volume 52, Issue 2 Pp. 265-271 • Karen J. Cruickshanks, PhD; Ronald Klein, MD ; Barbara E. K. Klein, MD ; Terry L. Wiley, PhD ; David M. Nondahl, MS ; Ted S. Tweed, MS. (1998) Cigarette Smoking and Hearing Loss: The Epidemiology of Hearing Loss Study. JAMA. 1998;279(21):1715-1719. doi:10.1001/jama.279.21.1715 • Hull RH, Kerschen SR. (2010) The influence of cardiovascular health on peripheral and central auditory function in adults: a research review. Am J Audiol. 2010 Jun;19(1):9-16. doi: 10.1044/1059-0889(2010/08-0040). • De Moraes Marchiori LL, de Almeida Rego Filho E, Matsuo T (2006) Hypertension As a Factor Associated with Hearing Loss. Braz J Otorhinolaryngol. Jul-Aug;72(4):533-40. • Babich, M., Hoffmeister, D. & Doughty, A. (2009). Osteoporosis and Conductive Hearing Loss: A Novel Model of Clinical Correlation. Article no 148 de PHILICA.COM. • American Tinnitus Association, ATA.org • www.mayoclinic.com/health/tinnitus/DS00365 • INSERM U 897 épidémiologique et neurophysiologique du vieillissement cérébral Cohorte PAQUID (personnes agées QUID) 3777 personnes de plus de 65 ans, suivis depuis 1988. • “Perte d’audition et déclin cognitif chez le sujet âgé : approche épidémiologique” (2015) Hélène Amiéva - Professeur de Pshychogérontologie et Chercheur à l’INSERM U897 - Bordeaux

The post How are our ears linked to the health of the entire body ? appeared first on FrenchEar.

« Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect »

Mark Twain

It is so easy to write pages and pages on this divided theme by crossing the pros and the cons, the fundamental acoustic truths and highly scientific and audiological explanations. We don't want to start here an analog vs digital debate and we don't say digital devices shouldn’t exist, just that analog devices should as well.

Even if some cochlear distortions do not allow the brain to do perfecty alone the hearing treatment in a noisy environment, we don’t believe there are any goods medical or audiological explications for completely phasing out analog hearing devices on the healthcare market.

We chose to put the debate on another level by giving the floor to the hearing impaired with 3 very interesting testimonials :

I’m 71 & began wearing 1 aid in mid 30s, wearing 2 aids in 40s. I have hi frequency loss [all in my family have same loss]. For me, analog aids have a much more natural sound with no delays or processing as digitals. I’m in process of getting new aids & the hi tech aids are “pushed” on customers. Digitals give me headache, ear aches, make my head spinn & even affect my vision. Audiologists do not seem to understand why, making me feel very “whimpy” & they continue to tell me to just keep trying to adjust to the problems of digitals. Not everyone wants their lives dictated by hi technology & learn to work all the gadgets that accompany digital aids. I crave the natural sounds of my voice & the families voices. I don’t like the delays in changing/processing of the digitals. Analog are just more comfortable, kinda like my old 'jammies:). It’s difficult to explain to anyone not hard of hearing, but I compare digital to getting the latest hi tech computer system with glare & learning new systems when Windows 98 looks beautiful & does the simple tasks necessary [I have both due to working & W’98 is still my favorite & most beautiful screen]. In short, analog much more resembles natural hearing with much less hassle [especially for we seniors] than the digital. Digital is too challenging for me & does not offer better hearing in return. I want to relax & enjoy life, not constantly learning new technology which give me headache, earache, balance problems/etc. Most important to me also, is control with an on/off switch & volume control. Digitals want to think for me. I want to think for myself & be in control of my hearing/life. I think the reason there are not more responses to this thread is that most of us who are hearing impaired don’t realize all the information online and/or be in denial. Hearing impaired persons are twice as tired at the end of the day as so much energy is used just to hear/understand speech & we probably do not sit in front of a computer as much. I do a lot of online research, but only research hearing when I have a problem. I need to stay updated so I won’t get so stressed out when time to get new aids/problems. I do hope the values of analog aids will be noticed & more analog aids made available to consumers. Probably not enough profit for this to happen though. Hi tech=hi $$$.

grannyhears

Analogs have real surround amplified sound. Plain and simple amplified sound. I have 2 (...) CIC that are 15yrs old (repaired and recased over the years). I just purchased a pair of (...) CIC digitals. Hate them. Still trying to get use to them but will probably take them back. I had the ability to tune out sounds naturally with my analogs. Perhaps people that are not able to do that tend to like the digitals better. The analogs were my first and only hearing aids until I recently purchased these digitals. I don’t like the fact that the digitals tune out sounds not under your control. They sound so artificial…cheap. The tv doesn’t sound very good at all. I can’t use my cordless phone due to excessive feedback (probably not recessed enough). With my analogs, if there was a sudden loud sound, they would cut out for a couple seconds then come back on. I didn’t have that “in a bottle” sound or sound direction problem. The tv and stereo sounded great. I could hear EVERYTHING. I want to hear EVERYTHING. Isn’t that the purpose of wearing hearing aids? lol It’s great with analogs! I only hope that they can continue to repair my analogs. It’s becoming harder to find places that will. They need to bring back analogs as a choice when purchasing hearing aids. I know I would buy another pair!! I don’t know what I’m going to do if mine decide to fizzle out completely or they just can’t be repaired any more. Now there are “some” advantages of the digitals that are cool: the remote control, the wireless (great for tv-like wearing headsets), bluetooth and feedback cancellation (when putting them on, taking them off or when someone hugs you). However, I feel analogs are far better. Hope this helps.

Bazinga

As a 55 year old retired Physician with profound hearing loss I have run the gamut of hearing aids from analog to advanced digital. I began wearing hearing aids at age 27. After approximately 28 years of using hearing aids of every possible kind and tweaked in every way imaginable, I have come to find no benefit in having digital aids over analogs. In fact I find analogs much softer and more tolerable to my ears and so I wear them longer. Perhaps this is due to the profundity of my loss so that I find no benefit in digital aids.
However like many others, I find it very stressful whenever I go to an audiologist as they insist on pressuring me into purchasing digital aids ignoring the fact of my reporting no added benefits over the analog aids.
Like any medical professional, audiologists as well a companies producing hearing devices need to once again learn to LISTEN to their patients. Not all deafness is physical and on the part of many medical professionals is only selective deafness to patient’s real needs as opposed to their perceived needs.
I for one have reverted back to analog aids and would encourage others to voice their opinions to their providers. Newer is NOT always better. It depends on the person and their needs both physically as well as financially.
Just another opinion FWIW

Silent_Doctor

Citations for this article:

https://forum.hearingtracker.com/t/what-is-it-about-analog-sound-you-like-best/16511/51

https://forum.hearingtracker.com/t/bringing-back-analog-hearing-aids/46770

The post The Truth : Digital vs Analog Hearing Aid. appeared first on FrenchEar.