The Family Hearing Center Fall 2022 E-Newsletter

The Family Hearing Center

TLC

The Family Hearing Center

TLC

The Treatment and Learning Centers

Rockville 2092 Gaither Rd., Suite 100 Rockville, MD 20850

The Treatment and Learning Centers

FALL 2022

Phone: (301) 738-1415

Choose Healthy Habits for Healthy Aging What do hearing loss and lowered stress levels have in common? Reducing both can lead to healthier aging in the long run, including a decrease in cognitive decline.

Studies show that higher stress throughout life can lead to a greater chance of cognitive decline in one’s later years.1 In honor of Healthy Aging Month this September, we want to invite you to take steps toward living a happier, healthier life, regardless of your current age. The sooner healthier habits take root, the better the chances that you can enjoy the things about life you love most for many decades to come.

The best place to start is with a few simple, easy-to-do activities that can give you an edge starting today: • Make a habit of going on brisk walks throughout the week.

Curious about the latest

hearing technology? Schedule an appointment today to learn about the latest in sound quality and connectivity.

(301) 738-1415

• Check in with your primary care provider if you have not had a physical exam in more than a year.

• Get a hearing test to get an edge on hearing loss, a progressive condition that can enhance the effects of cognitive decline in later years.

More research continues to show that there is indeed a strong link between hearing loss and cognitive decline.

One such study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), concluded that individuals with untreated hearing loss had a 24% increase in cognitive decline.2 Thankfully, hearing aids have been proven to help. A recent study published by the University of Melbourne reveals that 97% of study participants showed improvement in executive function, including their ability to plan, organize information and perform common everyday tasks.3 Self-care is not selfish. When you lower your stress levels, enhance your ability to communicate with your loved ones and set time aside for activities that matter to you, everyone around you wins.

Remember that it’s never too early to stay proactive with your health and seek treatment as soon as possible— even if you show no obvious symptoms of hearing loss. A healthier, happier you could be as simple as taking a hearing test today.

The Family Hearing Center

TLC

The Treatment and Learning Centers

Call (301) 738-1415 to schedule a consultation.

1 Scott SB, Graham-Engeland JE, Engeland CG, Smyth JM, Almeida DM, Katz MJ, Lipton RB, Mogle JA, Munoz E, Ram N, Sliwinski MJ. The Effects of Stress on Cognitive Aging, Physiology and Emotion (ESCAPE) Project. BMC Psychiatry.

2015 Jul 3;15:146. doi: 10.1186/s12888-015-0497-7. PMID: 26138700; PMCID: PMC4490700. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4490700/ 2 Lin, F. R., Yaffe, K., Xia, J., Xue, Q. L., Harris, T. B., Purchase-Helzner, E., Satterfield, S., Ayonayon, H. N., Ferrucci, L., Simonsick, E. M., & Health ABC Study Group (2013). Hearing loss and cognitive decline in older adults. JAMA internal medicine, 173(4), 293–299. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2013.1868 3 Sarant, J.; Harris, D.; Busby, P.; Maruff, P.; Schembri, A.; Lemke, U.; Launer, S. The Effect of Hearing Aid Use on Cognition in Older Adults: Can We Delay Decline or Even Improve Cognitive Function? J. Clin. Med. 2020, 9, 254.

Melbourne School of Health Sciences: https://healthsciences.unimelb.edu.au/news-and-events/new-research-shows-how-a-hearing-aid-could-help-your-brain

Why Treating Hearing Loss Sooner Leads to Better Long-Term Hearing Health Hearing only starts with your ears. It is the auditory system, which is composed of the outer ear,

the middle ear, the inner ear and the auditory neurological pathway, that allows the process of hearing to occur. That process begins when sound waves enter the outer ear and are channeled through the other complex parts of the ear, the nervous system and into the brain. The physical characteristics of the original sound are preserved as various types of energy that the brain recognizes and identifies as a particular sound. So, in actuality, you hear with your brain!

However, when it comes to maintaining your auditory system, you lose it if you don’t use it. Just as the muscles in your body become sore when you exercise after a period of doing nothing, your auditory system will have difficulty getting back into shape should you suddenly decide to wear hearing devices, especially if you have gone a long time without treating your hearing loss. Your brain will lose some of its ability to process information due to a lack of stimulation. As a result, it will be more difficult to recognize sounds—even with hearing devices.

The Importance of Follow-Up Appointments Once you’ve been diagnosed with hearing loss, you’ll get to know the inside of your hearing care provider’s office very well as you go through the fitting process and subsequent appointments for fine-tuning adjustments. Those visits don’t end once you have your hearing devices working properly. To ensure they are operating at their optimal performance level and you are receiving the maximum benefit, your provider will schedule regular follow-up appointments.

Hearing devices are a major investment for most people, so there is a strong incentive to make them last as long as possible. The benefits are many: You’ll enjoy an improved quality of life, and your risks of developing any side effects associated with untreated hearing loss are greatly reduced. Routine care and maintenance will help keep your devices in good working order, and follow-up appointments allow you to meet with your provider regularly and share any questions about your devices or overall hearing.

Follow-up appointments are beneficial for many other reasons. Hearing changes over time. While hearing devices help amplify sounds and improve your communication abilities, remember that they

are not a cure for hearing loss. Regular hearing evaluations enable your provider to track changes in your hearing and make programming adjustments to help you continue to hear well. And because your hearing devices are exposed to heat and moisture daily, regular clean-and-check appointments are a great way to prevent damage before it occurs and help extend their life. Should you encounter problems, you’ll have an opportunity to discuss repairs or replacements, or perhaps purchase extended coverage once the manufacturer’s warranty has expired.

To get the most from your follow-up appointments, come prepared by jotting down any questions you might have, especially if there has been a change in how well you hear with your devices. It is often helpful to bring along a family member or friend, as a neutral third party can provide a different perspective on your hearing ability.

Follow-up appointments might seem like a strain on your already busy schedule. However, the relationship you build with your provider through regular checkups—and the comfort in knowing that your devices are working optimally—should convince you to prioritize them.

To minimize the impact of auditory deprivation, you should address the hearing loss sooner once diagnosed—rather than when the condition worsens. Providing solutions and positive outcomes for patients with advanced/longstanding hearing loss can be done, but it is more challenging since the condition of the neurological system is weak. Early intervention results in better outcomes.

We recommend you receive a baseline hearing test beginning at age 40. During this test, we’ll determine the lowest volume level you can hear at various frequencies or pitches. We can then reference this at subsequent testing and monitor any changes.

Once your hearing threshold is identified, we encourage you to have periodic hearing tests (every two or three years) to help prevent and identify hearing loss as soon as possible. If you are a hunter, musician or woodworker, or if you are frequently and consistently exposed to loud noise, we recommend an annual hearing test. Only through preventative care can we help you prevent further damage to your hearing system.