Happy New Year!! I love the start of a new year, it is a chance to start fresh and truly take in new goals and dreams. While I am also guilty of not following through with that over ambitious New Year’s resolution, I love the idea of having a starting point. That’s how I view the start of a new year, a new starting point. I cannot think of a more appropriate month to be the international quality of life month than January. Quality of life can be impacted by so many factors; one of those is our hearing ability. Hearing loss can further influence other factors of quality of life.
Hearing loss is most prevalent in older adults, and having a hearing loss can negatively impact our quality of life. Hearing loss impacts our ability to communicate with loved ones and the rest of the world. It impacts our emotions and can lead to feelings of frustration, stress, and anger. Hearing loss can lead to social isolation and social withdrawal due to difficulty engaging in these settings. Research has found that these communication challenges, emotional changes, and social impacts of hearing loss can greatly affect one’s quality of life, especially for older adults (Nordvik et al., 2018).
Hearing loss can impact cognition. Research has found that an untreated hearing loss increases risk of dementia and cognitive decline in adults. Additionally, adults with an untreated hearing loss have faster rates of cognitive decline. Adults with an untreated hearing loss must dedicate more cognitive resources to hearing and therefore limiting cognitive resources for things such as memory and thinking (Dementia and Hearing Loss, n.d.). Research has found that even a mild cognitive impairment can reduce one’s quality of life (Bárrios et al., 2013).
Hearing loss can increase risk of falling. Even a mild hearing loss can triple the risk of accidental fall. Falling and risk of falling can create conditions that can make it difficult for older adults to remain independent. The fear of falling can cause individuals to limit excursions and social activities (Shapiro, 2019). A higher level of fear of falling is associated with poorer quality of life measures (Schoene et al., 2019). Additionally, falling can lead to hip fractures. Many older adults face difficulties following hip fractures that may interfere with their ability to care for themselves and may have difficulty for months or years after a fracture. This significant recovery period impacts the individual’s quality of life as well as their caregiver’s or loved one’s (How Do Older Adults Fare after Hip Fracture? > Health in Aging Blog > Health in Aging, 2019).
Hearing loss can be treated and our communication can be assisted. Hearing loss, cognitive decline, and fall risk can all impact one’s quality of life. During this new year and international quality of life month, do not let hearing loss interfere with your quality of life and create conditions for other potential areas of concerns such as cognitive decline and increased risk of falling. To get started on your hearing journey, schedule a hearing evaluation with your audiologist.
Resources
- Bárrios, H., Narciso, S., Guerreiro, M., Maroco, J., Logsdon, R., & de Mendonça, A. (2013). Quality of life in patients with mild cognitive impairment. Aging & Mental Health, 17(3), 287–292. https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2012.747083
- Dementia and Hearing Loss. (n.d.). American Academy of Audiology. https://www.audiology.org/consumers-and-patients/hearing-and-balance/dementia-and-hearing-loss/
- How Do Older Adults Fare After Hip Fracture? (2019, July 8). Health in Aging Blog. https://www.healthinaging.org/blog/how-do-older-adults-fare-after-hip-fracture/
- Nordvik, Ø., Laugen Heggdal, P. O., Brännström, J., Vassbotn, F., Aarstad, A. K., & Aarstad, H. J. (2018). Generic quality of life in persons with hearing loss: A systematic literature review. BMC Ear, Nose and Throat Disorders, 18(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12901-018-0051-6
- Schoene, D., Heller, C., Aung, Y. N., Sieber, C. C., Kemmler, W., & Freiberger, E. (2019). A systematic review on the influence of fear of falling on quality of life in older people: Is there a role for falls? Clinical Interventions in Aging, 14, 701–719. https://doi.org/10.2147/cia.s197857
- Shapiro, Z. (2019, March). Hearing Loss and the Increased Risk of Falls. Leader Live. https://leader.pubs.asha.org/do/10.1044/hearing-loss-and-the-increased-risk-of-falls/full/
