Hearing loss could lead to behavior change?

Most people would say that other than being a nuisance, hearing loss is not that big of a deal. Read this data from the American Academy of Audiology (www.audiology.org) and see if it changes your mind. From their website: “Untreated hearing loss has serious emotional and social consequences for older persons, according to a major new study by The National Council on the Aging (NCOA). The survey of 2,300 hearing impaired adults, age fifty and older, found that those with untreated hearing loss were more likely to report depression, anxiety, and paranoia and were less likely to participate in organized social activities, compared to those who wear hearing aids.”

Additionally, if untreated, hearing loss includes a greater risk of falls, isolation, and earlier and more severe cognitive decline. Furthermore, about 20 percent of Americans, 48 million people (!), report some degree of hearing loss. At age 65, one out of three people has a hearing loss. It was time to hear from a local expert on this topic, Barbara Street, an Oregon licensed audiologist.