A survey by a hearing aid manufacturer found that more than 60% of people who are aware of their hearing difficulties do not seek medical attention.
Many people are believed to be living with difficulty hearing, and experts are calling for medical attention.
The survey was conducted last year by the Japan Hearing Aid Manufacturers Association and others over the Internet, targeting approximately 14,000 people up to the age of 95.
According to this, 10.0% of the respondents answered that they had hearing loss or thought they had hearing loss,
▽ 5.5% for those aged 45 to 54,
▽ 8.9% for those aged 55 to 64,
▽ 65 to 74 .
was 14.9%
▽ 34.4% for those over 75 years old.
Of these, 38% had seen a medical institution, which is 30 to 40 points lower than in European countries such as the United Kingdom and France where similar surveys were conducted, and more than 60% had not seen a doctor. .
In addition, 15.2% of people have hearing aids, which is less than half of European countries.
When we asked people with relatively severe hearing loss why they do not use hearing aids,
▽ 57% answered that it was troublesome,
▽ 40% said that the hearing loss was not that bad, and
▽ 38% said they will not return.
Koichiro Wasano, an associate professor at Tokai University who is familiar with hearing loss, said, "It seems that there are many people who do not see a doctor even if they have difficulty in hearing. “Physicians need to be actively involved,” he said.
Cases in which they are satisfied with their daily lives by wearing hearing aids
Tokai University Hospital, located in Isehara City, Kanagawa Prefecture, has a specialized outpatient clinic for hearing loss and hearing aids once a week.
One of the patients, Tetsuya Watanabe (83), who ran a company in Ayase City, Kanagawa Prefecture, began to be pointed out that there was an increase in mishearing at home and at work about six years ago.
At the urging of his family, he considered purchasing a hearing aid at a store, but Mr. Watanabe himself did not feel the inconvenience caused by the deterioration of his hearing, so he canceled the purchase at the last minute.
After that, he could not hear unless the TV volume was turned up to twice the level that his family watched.
Mr. Watanabe used to be reluctant to wear hearing aids, but as a result of consulting with a specialist outpatient clinic that he started attending last October, it was decided to wear hearing aids of a discreet size, and he received a medical examination once a month. However, it means that they are adjusting so that there is no discomfort in listening.
Mr. Watanabe said, "My family complained that it was difficult for me to communicate with them, but I didn't have much of a problem myself. When I wear hearing aids, I feel that it is more difficult for business partners to look at me as an elderly person. But now I'm so satisfied that I can't live my daily life without hearing aids. I should have seen a doctor sooner."
Tokai University Promoting the development of a system to easily measure "ear age"
Hearing ability declines with age, but research is underway to make people aware of how old their hearing ability is, leading to consultations at medical institutions.
A group led by Associate Professor Koichiro Wasano of Tokai University created a database of hearing test results for more than 10,000 people with no ear disease who visited national hospitals in Tokyo over the 20 years until 2020. We analyzed how well people can hear by age and by gender, and analyzed each frequency from low to high to determine the average hearing ability of each age group.
By making graphs of the data, patients who have undergone medical examinations are made aware of their age range and how much their hearing ability has deteriorated compared to their peers of the same age.
Using this data, Associate Professor Wasano is working with a major hearing aid manufacturer to develop a test system that can easily measure the age of one's hearing.
In the system, by answering three types of sounds from high to low tones emitted from headphones connected to a tablet terminal, in a few minutes, the "early age" will be displayed and the hearing ability for each sound range will be compared with the average value of the same age. I can.
Associate Professor Wasano has been verifying the usability and effectiveness of this system since last year, and about 20 elderly people experienced the test system at a hearing seminar held in Kokubunji, Tokyo this month.
Many people who experienced it gave the measurement results that the "ear age" was close to or slightly worse than the actual age.
A 79-year-old woman, whose ears are said to be in her 90s, said, "I have trouble hearing when I talk to a large group, but I realized that it's bad. I'm thinking of going to the hospital for a checkup." I was.
In addition, an 83-year-old man who found that the result was suitable for his age said, "I thought my hearing was in my 70s, but I was a little shocked to find that I was in my early 80s. I still need hearing aids. I don't think so, but if the device produces bad results, I think it will be an opportunity to see a doctor."
Associate Professor Wasano said, ``Hearing is difficult to understand compared to visual acuity tests, etc., because multiple results are given for each frequency. There are many people who say that they have no problem with their hearing loss due to their age, and it is thought that there are a considerable number of people who have not had a hearing test. If you feel bad, please see an otolaryngologist who is familiar with hearing aids."
Hearing loss May increase risk of developing dementia
Some reports from overseas point out that hearing loss in middle-aged and elderly people may increase the risk of developing dementia.
In a report published in 2020 by a panel of the British medical journal The Lancet, the following risk factors for dementia include
depression,
brain damage due to injury,
high blood pressure,
obesity, and
social isolation. ,
▽ Hearing loss, etc.
12 items are listed.
The report found that hearing loss between the ages of 45 and 65 increases the risk of developing dementia by a factor of 1.9.
Hearing loss is one of the highest risk factors, but it is possible to deal with it by using hearing aids, etc., and points out that it is the biggest preventable risk factor.
According to the report, multiple studies conducted in the United States and other countries show that using hearing aids may reduce the deterioration of cognitive function, but many people do not feel the effects of hearing aids because they are difficult to use. It suggests that proper use should be supported.