On January 14, the Village Education Team arranged for Dr. Philip Salomon, a diagnostic audiologist, to speak about hearing, dealing with hearing loss, and its connection to dementia.

Dr. Salomon presented the anatomy of ears and hearing and discussed the causes of different types of hearing loss: sensorineural, conductive, and mixed. Usually sensorineural loss is permanent. Hearing aids or implantable devices can help remediate this type of loss. Conductive loss is usually more temporary and can be addressed by dealing with the cause, possibly wax build-up, infection, foreign body, etc. Tinnitus, or hearing a sound with no external source, was also discussed. Up to 43% of the general population experience this. Hearing aids help decrease tinnitus.

Hearing loss is the third most common health concern. Over 50 million Americans have some type of hearing loss. 20% of people over age 60 have some hearing loss and that percentage grows to over 50% for those over age 70.

Less than 20% of those with hearing loss who might benefit from treatment, actually seek help. And the vast majority of people wait around 10 years before addressing their hearing loss. Villager Jan McFarlane shared, "I had my hearing tested two years ago at Kaiser, and the result was severe hearing loss. Do you think I listened and got a hearing aid? Nope! Because then I would have to consider myself ‘old,’ and I was not interested in being ‘old’! But when I saw the announcement about a presentation on hearing loss and its connection to dementia, I knew I had to attend.”

There is a 94% correlation between hearing loss and dementia. A person is two to five times more likely to develop dementia with an untreated hearing loss. Hearing devices can boost cognitive function up to 50% within a year, and wearing hearing devices can reduce dementia symptoms by up to 75%. Hearing loss can also lead to emotional conditions that can affect both quality of life and mental health.

Dr. Salomon shared the difference between Prescriptive Hearing Aids and Over the Counter Hearing Aids. Prescriptive hearing aids are recommended for folks of all ages who have mild to profound hearing loss. There is usually volume control, programs for various listening environments, and Bluetooth connectivity on these types of hearing aids. The person measuring, dispensing, and programming the hearing aids is licensed by the state. The average cost is $2,500 - $5,500 per ear.

Over the Counter Hearing Aids best serve adults 18 and over with mild hearing loss. The wearer will be doing the adjustments, and there are no requirements for folks who may be doing the programming. The average cost is $900 - $1,800 per ear.

The varying costs of hearing aids are based on the level of technology that is incorporated into these small devices. The higher the cost, the more flexibility in different environments, better sound, more bandwidth of precise frequency adjustments, more noise suppression, etc.

Dr. Salomon also shared about how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is being used in the most advanced hearing aids. These devices fine tune to you and your patterns of sound, have sound pattern recognition, learn with you, and filter out noisy environments differently.

Salomon Audiology partners with many different senior centers/residences. In their West Covina office, the staff has been trained in dementia support as well as testing and fitting hearing aids. Audiological testing can also be done in people’s homes, using some very complicated headphones that measure like the sound booth equipment does - and even more.

The presentation was well received by Village Members. Tamanika Ivie said, “It was really interesting. More than I ever imagined.” And Jan McFarlane went on to say, “And, now I have a complimentary appointment with Dr. Salomon for another hearing test. Thank you, Pasadena Village!"

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