Hearing Loss Links to an Increased Risk of Falls

International Campaign for Better Hearing

Posted here June 23, 2020

Published February 27, 2017

​

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and the National Institute of Aging discovered that hearing loss increases the risk of falls for older people, by a significant amount.

​

The research found that the risk of having a fall is even higher for people with more severe hearing loss. In fact, the risks increases 140 percent for every additional 10 decibels of hearing loss.  There could many reasons that hearing loss is associated with an increased risk of falls.  One reason might be that people with hearing loss have less environmental awareness. This means they don’t notice things happening near to them, such as people, pets, or other things.  Many researchers also suggest that people with hearing loss need to use more of their mental resources to hear and interpret speech and other sounds, so they have less mental energy left for other tasks such as balancing.

​

The study: “Hearing Loss and Falls Among Older Adults in the United States” is headed by Dr Frank Lin from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and Luiggi Ferrucci from National Institute of Aging.  "Gait and balance are things most people take for granted, but they are actually very cognitively demanding," Dr Lin says. "If hearing loss imposes a cognitive load, there may be fewer cognitive resources to help with maintaining balance and gait."

​

To read more, click here.

For the full scholarly article, click here. 

COVID-19:  Coping With Stress

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention | Atlanta, Georgia

Posted here June 23, 2020

Published June 12, 2020

​

Healthy ways to cope with stress:

​​

• Know what to do if you are sick and are concerned about COVID-19.  Contact a health professional before you start any self-treatment for COVID-19.

• Know where and how to get treatment and other support services and resources, including counseling or therapy (in person or through telehealth services).

• Take care of your emotional health.  Taking care of your emotional health will help you think clearly and react to the urgent needs to protect yourself and your family.

• Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories, including those on social media.  Hearing about the pandemic repeatedly can be upsetting.

• Take care of your body.

  • Take deep breaths, stretch, or meditate.

  • Try to eat healthy, well-balanced meals.

  • Exercise regularly.

  • Get plenty of sleep.

  • Avoid excessive alcohol use and drugs.

• Make time to unwind.  Try to do some other activities you enjoy.

• Connect with others.  Talk with people you trust about your concerns and how you are feeling.

• Connect with your community or faith-based organizations.  While social distancing measures are in place, consider connecting online, through social media, or by phone or mail.

​

For information from the CDC, click here.

Having Both Hearing and Visual Impairments May Lead to Elevated Dementia Risk

The Hearing Review | Overland Park, Kansas

Posted here July 14, 2020

Published July 10, 2020

​

Older adults with both hearing and visual impairments—or dual sensory impairment—had a significantly higher risk for dementia in a recent study published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring, according to a press announcement on the Wiley website.

​

In the study of 2,051 older adults (22.8% with hearing or visual impairment and 5.1% with both impairments) who were followed over eight years, dual sensory impairment was associated with an 86% higher risk for dementia compared with having no sensory impairments. During follow-up, dementia developed in 14.3% in those with no sensory impairments, 16.9% in those with one sensory impairment, and 28.8% in those with dual sensory impairment.

​

Participants with dual sensory impairment were also twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease (the most common form of dementia) than those without sensory impairments.

​

“Evaluation of vision and hearing in older adults may predict who will develop dementia and Alzheimer’s. This has important implications on identifying potential participants in prevention trials for Alzheimer’s disease, as well as whether treatments for vision and hearing loss can modify risk for dementia,” said lead author Phillip H. Hwang, of the University of Washington.

​

To read more, click here.

​