Did you know that there is an association between age related hearing loss and age related
functioning physical decline? Yes this is true, and I'm going to talk about this in today's video.
Welcome to my channel if you're new, my name is Emily, I created Definite Hearing as a
way to increase awareness for the deaf and hard of hearing, I'm hard of hearing myself.
I have been wearing hearing aids for my moderate to severe hearing loss since I was four months
old. Most people think that hearing aids are just for old people. That is not true. Hearing aids are
excellent devices for anyone with a mild hearing loss, and on, as I mentioned, my hearing loss
is moderate to severe, this means I don't start hearing, until the sound of a vacuum cleaner, so a
vacuum cleaner, without my hearing aids in sounds like a whisper to me, hear it definitely hearing
I talk a lot about hearing loss related studies problem solutions hacks and things like that,
because hearing loss is a large part of my life and I deal with it on a daily basis.
Thankfully my hearing aids helping compensate for my hearing loss. I can hear and speak pretty well,
if you haven't already please like this video and subscribe my channel. I look forward to
making more great content for you. Today we're going to review a study by Pablo Martinez,
, who is an MD and Danielle Powell, she is an audiologist or a doctor of audiology,
they had a lot of other scientists and doctors that helped them with this study, but those are
the first two that were listed in this resource. If you want to see the original source, check the
description down below, I'll have the link for this source. So in this study they wanted to see
if physical decline was associated or related to age related hearing loss in 2016 and 2017,
they enlisted the help of 2900 plus us adults, there was a good mix of men, women, in different
ethnicities, the average age of all these people, was about 79, give or take about five years,
they used pure tone audiometry hearing test to measure the hearing of all of these people,
of all these adults 33% of them had normal hearing 40% had a mild hearing loss 23% had a moderate
hearing loss and 4% had a severe hearing loss, or more. So, you notice that a large percentage
40% had a mild hearing loss, believe it or not there's a false notion that mild hearing losses
do not need to be fit with hearing devices. This is incorrect, even a mild hearing loss should be
aided with a hearing device, and specifically a hearing aid, fit by an audiologist, you don't
know what you don't hear. So definitely, if you think that you're not hearing well go talk to your
audiologist, they'll measure your hearing and help you get the right hearing device for your hearing
loss. So in this study they wanted to see how physical function and hearing loss were related,
they had each adult walk a period of two minutes can do some specific exercises to really gauge
their ability to exercise and be physically fit, they noticed that individuals with hearing loss
declined, physically speaking in their performance of these physical activities, compared to those
with normal hearing, they noticed in a time trial of Walking for two minutes, that people with
hearing loss, moderate and severe especially walk two to five meters less than those with mild or
normal hearing. This is really interesting that the endurance and the physical function
was associated with hearing loss. Now it's really important to say that this study, it says that
it's associated so they noticed that people who have hearing loss are more likely or physically
decline, that doesn't necessarily mean that the hearing loss is responsible for that physical
decline. So that's an important note but note that Multiple studies have been done on how dementia
can worsen if a hearing loss is not assessed so the fact that this study is coming out
and showing evidence that physical stamina and physical function can decline with hearing loss,
it just makes sense to treat the hearing loss, you know, like I said earlier, you don't know what you
don't hear, but in addition to that with hearing devices, even eating a mile vos you give yourself
your best chance to ward off dementia and stay physically fit and have that physical stamina
that you need, so people would ask, why is this, why does hearing matter like it's just a part of
aging. Well, a lot of people don't realize that hearing, stimulates our brain, and hearing enables
us to be social hearing is a sense that happens subconsciously, like our heartbeat, and our lungs,
inhale air is just something that's done subconsciously, and keeps our brain actively
moving, if we are not able to hear because sounder to quiet, then the brain does not give that
stimulation. And the fact it's more subject to dementia, and hence the fact that it can
be associated with a physical decline. What are your thoughts on this, do you have hearing loss,
have you noticed that when you don't wear your hearing aids for a time but you feel,
maybe less active physically and socially. I know for me that when I don't hear my hearing aids.
I am very relaxed. And sometimes I have to be careful, because it's easy to for me, personally,
to get lazy when I don't have my hearing aids in, it's easy for me to ask my husband question,
but it's not fair for me to expect an answer and expect him to repeat a bunch of time.
When I don't have my hearing aids. So therefore, I choose to wear hearing aids and hearing devices
without my hearing aids at such a young age, I would not be able to speak as well as I do today,
hearing is an incredible sense and it's incredible that we have devices to aid
hearing losses nowadays. I love my hearing devices. In fact, that's why I chose the color
white. So when I wear my hair up. People can see my hearing aids, they can start a conversation.
I can ask questions. Sometimes we forget that we're all different, that we all have differences
here needs may get a little bit more obvious that they're different, but for me it gives me
something to talk about. And also I helped myself out. It's amazing to be a part of conversations,
it's amazing to hear the birds sing is amazing to hear the rain on windowpanes, I love that,
and without my hearing aid, I would miss out on all of that. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this
video on how hearing loss can be associated with physical decline, I definitely recommend that if
you have any questions about your hearing, reach out to a local audiologist and have
them help you if you haven't already please like this video and subscribe to my channel, I look
forward to making more great hearing loss related content for you. Also, if you have hearing loss,
or if you know someone who has hearing loss, and you have questions for me, please let me know,
I look forward to answering your questions in the comments below. Have a great day. Bye.