The

National Council on the Aging recently surveyed more than

2,300 people 50 and over to determine the effects of

hearing loss on their lives.

The study

also surveyed more than 2,000 family members to measure

their perception of the effects of hearing loss and

hearing aid use.

According

to the NCOA report, more than 10 million Americans

between the ages of 45 and 64 and more than nine million

Americans over 64 have significant hearing loss. However,

most people with hearing loss have never sought treatment

or used hearing aids for their hearing difficulties.

What

prevents someone with hearing loss from seeking help?

The most

frequently reported reason for not using hearing aids in

the survey was: "My hearing is not bad enough."

Even individuals who reported severe hearing difficulties

cited this reason. Other reasons that were reported

frequently were "the cost of hearing aids" and

the belief that "hearing aids won't help."

Individuals

that do not seek help report significantly more negative

effects from their hearing loss, including less social

activity, episodes of sadness and depression, and

episodes of feeling tense, irritable or anxious. These

differences were also found when acounting for such

factors as age, gender and degree of hearing loss.

According

to the survey, adults over 50 who did use hearing aids

reported better relationships with their families,

greater independence and an improved social life. Family

members also reported improvements in all these areas,

often greater improvements than the hearing aid users

themselves reported.

NCOA

investigators recommend that older people who are

suspected of having hearing loss should seek appropriate

screening, diagnosis and treatment.

Andy Waits

owns and operates Waits Hearing Aid Center in

Fayetteville.