AARP Weighs in On Hearing, Alzheimer’s, and Hearing Aids…. (and we weigh in with Monty Python)

May is Better Hearing Month, which makes the lead article in this month’s AARP bulletin, “Buying a Hearing Aid,” very timely.  The article hits all the high and low points in under 3 pages, including lots of pictures.  Written by Cathie Gandel, an established freelance journalist and ghost writer, it’s a good article and we recommend you check it out.  Here’s why:

1.  It gives you the basic statistics (with our comments in parentheses):

• over 2/3 of people over 70 in the US have hearing loss (that is a LOT)
• BUT, only 1/5 of those use hearing aids (that’s really LOW)
• over 80% of people with hearing loss need two hearing aids (not much different than eye glasses fittings, right?)
• hearing aid prices range from $1,200 to $3,700 per hearing aid (our patients know we’re in the middle of this range)

2.  It introduces good, but scarey, old and new research that links hearing loss and poor communication to brain deterioration:

• all those people who don’t treat their hearing losses face much higher risks for depression, isolation, and loneliness
• those people with severe hearing loss have 5 times the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease
• even mild hearing loss is associated (to a lesser degree) with dementia
• The more hearing loss interferes with communication, the higher the risk of developing dementia

3.  The article accurately outlines what is known about hearing aid effectiveness:

• hearing aids do not “restore” hearing, but they go a long way toward “correcting” the effects of the hearing loss;
• there is no data linking hearing aids to prevention of Alzheimer’s and other dementias, but studies are in development at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in the lab of Dr Frank Lin.
• data clearly indicate that hearing aids provide “substantial benefits” to those with hearing loss who use them regularly and appropriately.

4.  The article gives 10 “top” tips for being fitted with hearing aids, chief among them (in our view):

• Start with a hearing test.  Believe it or not, some people try to save money by getting hearing aids without a thorough diagnostic examination by an audiologist.  This is not only pennywise and pound foolish, but it can be dangerous.  Not all hearing problems should be “treated” with hearing aids.  Wax impaction, ear infections, reversible hearing losses, and (worst of all) tumors of the acoustic nerve are ALL conditions that are identified by thorough audiometric evaluation and should NOT be treated with hearing aids as a first line of defense.
• Take someone with you.  Research from as far back as the 1980s mades the point that someone close to the person with hearing loss will have a far different view of the hearing loss than the person him/herself.  Neither view alone is accurate, but taken together, the divergent views form a story that is intelligible and helpful to the audiologist when doing the evaluation and making recommendations. 
• Take someone with you.  We know this is a repeat, but it’s important enough to bear repeating.  Other decades-old research makes it clear that people remember less than 50% of what they are told at a medical ealuation.  The same is true for an audiological evaluation.  You need someone with you to help you process all that you are told.  Why spend the time and money for an evaluation if you’re only going to get 1/2 of what went on?
• Know before you go.  Let’s assume that you go and hearing aids are recommended.  Not everyone wants the same thing from hearing aids.  You need to decide what is important to you in day-to-day communications and tell the audiologist your “hearing wish list. ” A good Audiologist will combine your measured hearing loss results with your stated wants in order to tailor the hearing aid fitting recommendations specifically to YOU.
• Interview a provider.  We liked this quote in the article from Dr Sergei Kochkin (Better Hearing Institute):  “The number one thing to remember is that the value you et out of your hearing aid is based on the skills and abilities of he hearing health professional.”  We could not have said it better. 
• Ask about training.  As we always tell our patients, and the article underscores, “… your brain doesn’t know what to do with the sound after you get your hearing aids.”  Our patients know this, for sure!  They’ve all been through hearing aid boot camp with us, and all know the importance of regular follow-ups, adjustments, measurements, and planning listening strategies.
• Pay the piper.  The article makes the point that hearing aids are not cheap and that the ”average retail markup [is] 117%.”  That’s about right–it’s a bit higher than we charge in our office–but it’s definitely not out of line.  The reason for the markup, besides paying the rent, has to do with the training item above.  Any good provider is going to charge enough to ensure that they can provide the high-quality follow-up that ensures wearing success for hearing aid users.  Anything less results in a hearing aid in a drawer, which is VERY expensive even if the initial mark-up was low!
• There are four more tips that you can read for yourself when you get the article.

5. The article finishes up with information on paying for hearing healthcare:

• you can use medical flexible spending accounts if you have them
• Medicare does not cover hearing aids or hearing tests performed for the purpose of fitting hearing aids, but some diagnostic conditions allow Medicare coverage of the audiometric evaluation.
• A few insurance plans offer hearing benefits.  (We have all that in our computer and can give you guidance on that if it applies)

This has been a long post, but there’s a lot of information you need if you are going to be an educated and informed consumer who is responsible for your hearing health.  If you would like a copy of the AARP article, please email us at tucsonaud@gmail.com or give us a call at 520-260-5731.  We’ll be happy to get a copy to you. 

And now, as a special treat (or punishment?) for those of you who were hardy enough to read this entire post, we’ll close with the world’s longest Monty Python skit entitled “Buying a Hearing Aid” which you can find on youtube.