Newly available non-prescription hearing aids could do more than just return aural function to users: Restoring hearing function can have major overall health benefits and reduces the risk of dementia, experts say.
Almost 25% of adults aged 65 and 74 years, and half of those older than 75, have “disabling” hearing loss, according to the National Institute on Deafness.
Unfortunately, among those who have such significant hearing loss, only one-third use hearing aids, the institute says.
That is partly due to the fact that many hearing aids are both costly and require prescriptions. Newer models, however, are form-fitting and commercially available, according to a recent story by CNN.
Those newer models have come following a decision by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2022 to allow consumers to purchase hearing aids online or over the counter.
Two recent studies have expanded on the link between hearing loss and dementia risk, McKnight’s Senior Living reported last week.
Prior research also connected hearing loss with a greater risk for falling and overall cognitive decline. Overall, hearing loss was linked to a 7% higher risk for developing dementia and was 20% higher for those with hearing loss who didn’t use hearing aids.
Other research went as far as to report that those who used hearing aids reduced their mortality risk by 24%.
The newer over-the-counter hearing aid models differ from previous models in several ways, with most options targeting more mild forms of hearing loss. New innovations include more form-fitting designs or are made to look more like earbuds or Bluetooth pieces and less like medical appendages. Some new models include functionality that can be controlled using smartphone apps, McKnight’s reported last year.
