Hearing Loss: Problems and Solutions

The sheer delight of a laughing toddler, the crack of booming thunder, the welcome sound of your favorite music. These are just three examples of the miracle of hearing. Like so many things in life, most people take hearing for granted . . .until there’s a problem. The good news is, however, that hearing aid technology has never been better; the challenging part, however, is that finding the best hearing aids for you can take some time — not to mention a chunk of money.

According to the National Institute on Deafness, about 15 percent of American adults (37.5 million) age 18, and over say they experience some trouble hearing, and about one in three people between the ages of 65 and 74 has hearing loss. Over age 75, nearly half of individuals complain of difficulty hearing.

Types of Impairment

There are many reasons for hearing loss; we’ll focus on the age-related kind. Like aging itself, troubles with hearing can sneak up on you. You (or a partner) may notice that you’ve begun increasing the volume on the TV, or perhaps you’re asking conversation partners to “speak up” more than you have in the past.

Medical science provides several reasons for hearing loss associated with aging. Here are a few:

• Changes to the inner ear.
• Age-related fluctuations in the middle ear and complex changes along the nerve pathways from the ear to the brain.
• Damage sustained over decades from noise.
• Recent studies suggest that certain genes make some people more susceptible than others to hearing loss as they get older.
• Medical conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes and medications that are toxic to the sensory cells in the ears (for example, chemotherapy drugs) are also factors.

Seeking Help

Your insurance plan may dictate the best way to get started, so consider calling your insurer before making any appointments. For example, if you are on Medicare, plans have different policies and restrictions regarding referrals, etc. Most people start with a visit to their primary care physician. After ruling out any medical issues that could be the culprit, they will likely refer you to an otolaryngologist, a specialist in diagnosing and treating diseases of the ear, nose, and throat. Medicare usually covers a hearing evaluation with a physician referral. Unfortunately, Medicare doesn’t cover hearing aids, but it does pay for the care needed to determine your problem, as it would with most medical conditions. Fortunately, many Americans have some form of third-party payment to help cover the expense of hearing aids. Check with your provider.)

Otolaryngologists will try to determine the cause of the problem and offer treatment solutions. They commonly work closely with audiologists, specialists trained in identifying and measuring hearing loss. Like detectives, they determine the location in the auditory pathway where the problem lies. Then, audiologists recommend and provide certain hearing loss interventions, such as hearing aids.

Hearing Aid Choices Abound

If hearing aids are indicated, prepare to do your homework. When over-the-counter hearing aids debuted in 2017, they naturally shook up the market with their lower costs and easy accessibility. But they’re by no means for everyone. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration advises: “OTC hearing aids are intended only for perceived mild to moderate hearing loss, and NOT for the treatment of severe or profound hearing loss.”

According to healthyhearing.com, the typical cost of an adult hearing aid is about $2,000-$3,000. Costs typically begin at $1,000 and can surpass $4,000 per device, depending on the level of technology. 

OTC hearing aids, which aren't suitable for everyone, are less expensive. Here are helpful articles from Johns Hopkins Medicine and Wirecutter (the New York Times-owned review site).

Psychological Burden of Hearing Loss

No doubt, hearing aids are not a straightforward kind of purchase. Invest time before investing money. That said, remember the psychological cost of hearing impairment. It can lead to social anxiety, isolation, and depression.

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