Hearing loss tied to late-life depression
Hearing loss among seniors is not always recognized and treated, but if it were it might help head off late-life depression, a new report suggests. Older people who suffer from hearing loss have a high risk for depression, and the greater the hearing loss, the greater the risk, researchers have found.
Most people over age 70 have at least mild hearing loss, yet relatively few are diagnosed, much less treated, for this condition, said researcher Dr. Justin Golub. He is an assistant professor of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery at Columbia University in New York City. For the study, Golubs team collected data on more than 5,200 adults over 50 who took part in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos. Each participant had a hearing test and was screened for depression.
The researchers found that people with mild hearing loss were about two times more likely to have clinically significant depression than those with normal hearing.
Moreover, people with severe hearing loss had more than four times the odds of having depression, the findings showed.
The study cant prove that hearing loss caused depression. But its understandable how hearing loss could contribute to depressive symptoms, Golub said.
Hearing loss tends to make people more socially isolated, and social isolation can lead to depression, he explained.
Although the study was done among Hispanics, the results could be applied to anyone with age-related hearing loss, Golub said.
In general, older individuals should get their hearing tested and consider treatment, if warranted, he advised.
If you suspect you have a hearing loss, it is important to immediately seek the advice of a qualified hearing healthcare professional. Hearing tests are simple, painless and widely available. Your hearing health professional will begin by conducting a thorough history, and they will ask questions about the challenges you are having, your lifestyle and your communication needs.
There are different types of hearing tests that evaluate specific parts of the auditory system and specialized hearing tests just for infants and toddlers. However, most hearing tests involve a sound-treated room or booth and headphones. Your hearing care professional will also conduct a visual exam of your ear canals and eardrum using a lighted instrument called an otoscope.
This will determine if something physical, such as earwax, is contributing to your hearing loss.
Once in the booth, you will be asked to listen to a variety of tones and indicate the softest tones you can hear by pressing a button.
This part of the exam is called pure tone audiometry, and it is valuable for determining not only how much hearing loss you have, but which frequencies are most affected. You may also be asked to listen for and repeat words. These speech tests can determine the softest speech sounds you can hear and how well you can understand speech clearly when it is loud enough for you to hear it.
If the hearing healthcare professional determines it is necessary, you may also be asked to wear plastic or soft foam earplugs during tests for acoustic reflexes. Another test called tympanometry tests the function of your eardrum.
Test results are marked and presented on a graph called an audiogram. An audiogram displays the softest sounds you can hear at different pitches. These results will enable your hearing healthcare provider to assess your hearing ability and develop the right treatment plan if necessary.
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