42 THE QUEENS COURIER • WELLNESS • JULY 20, 2017 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
wellness
3 pressing reasons to talk hearing
health at your next physical exam
When was the last time you and your
doctor talked about your hearing?
Th e fact is, only about 3 in 10 adults
who had a physical exam in the last
year say it included a hearing screening,
according to research conducted by the
Better Hearing Institute (BHI). Th at’s a
shame, because research shows that hearing
health is more closely tied to whole
health and quality of life than previously
understood - which means that diagnosing
and treating hearing loss early may be
benefi cial on many fronts.
To help people take charge of their
hearing health, BHI has created a free
digital fl ipbook, “How to Talk to Your
Doctor About Hearing Loss,” which anyone
can view and download at www.betterhearing.
org/news/how-talk-your-doctor
about-hearing-loss.
Th e fl ipbook provides pertinent information
to help consumers start the discussion,
which is especially important
because research shows that patients are
more likely to initiate the conversation
about hearing than their doctors are.
To go along with the free fl ipbook, BHI
has put together this short list of reasons
to speak up and start the conversation on
your hearing:
1. Hearing loss has been linked to
other signifi cant health issues. In recent
years, a fl urry of studies has come out
showing a link between hearing loss and
other health issues, including depression,
dementia, cardiovascular disease,
diabetes, moderate chronic kidney disease,
rheumatoid arthritis, sleep apnea,
obesity, an increased risk of falls, hospitalization
and mortality, and cognitive
decline. With so much new and emerging
research, it makes sense for people to talk
with their doctors about their hearing as a
routine part of their medical care.
2. Addressing hearing loss oft en has
a positive impact on quality of life.
Most people who currently wear hearing
aids say it has helped their general
ability to communicate, participate in
group activities and their overall quality
of life, according to BHI research.
Th e research also shows that people
with hearing loss who use hearing aids
are more likely to be optimistic, feel
engaged in life, get more pleasure in
doing things, have a strong social network
and are more likely to tackle problems
actively. Many even say they feel
more confi dent and better about themselves
as a result of using hearing aids.
3. Leaving hearing loss untreated may
come at a fi nancial cost. Most hearing
aid users in the workforce say it has
helped their performance on the job.
In fact, BHI research found that using
hearing aids reduced the risk of income
loss by 90 to 100 percent for those with
milder hearing loss, and from 65 to 77
percent for those with severe to moderate
hearing loss. People with untreated
hearing loss can lose as much as $30,000
in income annually, the BHI research
found. Health care spending may also
be aff ected. For instance, middle-aged
adults (55-64) with diagnosed hearing
loss had substantially higher health care
costs, according to a study published in
JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck
Surgery, indicating that hearing loss
may place patients at risk for increased
health care use and costs. Th e study
authors suggested that early, successful
intervention may prevent future hearing
related disabilities and decreased
quality of life.
For more information on hearing
loss, visit BetterHearing.org.
Courtesy BPT