Healthcare in the US is a current hot-button topic that affects millions of Americans of all socioeconomic levels. A 2012 study from researchers J.D. Schuur and A.K. Venkatesh found that hospital admissions “increased 15% from 34.3 million in 1993 to 39.5 million in 2006.” Meanwhile the cost of hospitalization has also increased 4.2% per year since 2000, reports a study in 2013.
As it stands, the health care industry in the US has grown significantly since the turn of the century, due to the wider availability following the Affordable Care Act, the increased average lifespan of the aging Baby Boomer generation, and the expansion of new technologies and medical research.
Link between untreated hearing loss and hospitalizations
In June 2015, the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society published a new study headed by Dr. Dane J. Genther from Johns Hopkins University that found links between untreated hearing loss and increased hospitalizations in older Americans. Researchers began with 3,075 well-functioning participants between the ages of 70 and 79. In the fifth year of the study, researchers administered audiometric assessments.
Following these assessments, the number of participants that became the official analytical cohort was whittled down to 2,148 (due to factors such as death, missed assessments, etc.). With these audiometric assessments, researchers were able to distinguish participants based on their varying hearing levels (41.1% had normal hearing, 38.1% had mild hearing impairment, and 20.9% had moderate or greater hearing impairment).
Researchers tracked these participants for a median of 12 years and found the following results: participants with mild hearing impairment experienced a 17% greater annual rate of hospitalization, while the annual rate increased to 19% for those with moderate or higher hearing impairment. In other words, researchers concluded that “hearing-impaired older adults experience a greater incidence and annual rate of hospitalization than those with normal hearing.”
Considering that one in three Americans over the age of 65 experience hearing loss, a significant portion of the population faces a higher rate of hospitalization. For Americans over the age of 85, this percentage rises to 80%. Hearing loss affects more than just our ears; when people struggle to hear, this may cause a strain on our brains and has been linked to dementia, some researchers have found. Untreated hearing loss extends to areas of social and emotional health – people with untreated hearing loss are more likely to experience depression, anxiety, and social isolation. Because our brains process sound and balance in the same area, untreated hearing loss has been linked to a higher risk of falls in older Americans – which inevitably leads to hospitalization as well.
Recognizing the symptoms of hearing loss and seeking treatment early on with hearing aids drastically improves the lives of older Americans who are hard of hearing. With advancements in hearing aid technology, these devices are often times invisible and possess powerful programs that filter specific sounds, give wearers a better sense of their surroundings, and connect wirelessly to smartphones, tablets, and Bluetooth-compatible electronics to provide wearers with accessibility to clear sounds. And, hearing aids benefit us in ways we may not even foresee: in this same study, researchers found that “hearing aid use was associated with a 13% shorter mean length of hospitalization.”
Are you or a loved one experiencing hearing loss? At Desert Valley Audiology, we offer comprehensive audiological services at our conveniently located practices in Las Vegas, Tenaya and Henderson. Contact us today to schedule a consultation with one of our audiologists.