Contributed by: Annabelle Hutchinson
Hearing is one of the most vital senses humans possess, but it is often taken for granted until it begins to fade with age. This article delves into the link between hearing and longevity, shedding light on why prioritizing our hearing might be the key to a longer, more fulfilling life.
The issue is important because around 15% of Americans over the age of 18 report some hearing loss. Hearing loss is most prevalent in the 60-69 age group, and men are almost twice as likely to have hearing loss as women, although the cause for this difference is not fully understood (but may be related to the differences in occupational in noise exposure or hormonal differences).
Why Is Hearing Important?
It may seem self-evident that hearing is important to healthy living, but it is often overlooked by people who have good hearing when they are young. Unfortunately, all-cause mortality rises as hearing loss worsens.
The most obvious impact of hearing on health is its role as an early warning system. Whether it’s the honk of a horn, the sound of an approaching vehicle, or the beep of a smoke detector, our ears help us detect potential dangers. A diminished sense of hearing can compromise safety in dangerous situations.
There is also an unmistakable emotional and social element to a good sense of hearing. Music, laughter, the voices of loved ones – these sounds evoke strong emotions that enrich our lives. For many people, hearing is a necessary part of positive social interaction. People with hearing loss report feelings of isolation, depression, low self-esteem, and anxiety.
But there are less noticeable effects to hearing loss. For instance, scientific research suggests a link between hearing impairment and the onset of dementia in elderly individuals, and even links hearing loss with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
Why Do We Lose Our Hearing?
Hearing loss can result from a number of different factors, including genetics and infection, but the most common source of hearing loss is exposure to very loud noises that permanently damage the structures of the inner ear. These noises may be one-time events (like an explosion), but many people suffer from hearing loss as the result of chronic exposure to loud noises over many years.
While noise-induced hearing loss is connected to age-related hearing loss, they are distinct phenomena. Most hearing loss later in life is age-related, even controlling for previous occupational noise exposure. The exact causes of age-related hearing loss are opaque, but the mechanism is likely similar to noise-induced hearing loss: hair cells in the inner ear do not regrow when they are damaged or destroyed.
How Can We Stop Hearing Loss?
To preserve your hearing for many years to come, you should take a few simple preventative steps.
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- Turn down the volume on your devices. It may be tempting to blare music through your headphones during a workout or turn the TV to max volume while watching a movie, but these impulses should be resisted to the extent possible.
- Use ear protection. This is especially true when you are going into environments that you know will be very loud, such as concerts, gun ranges, or construction zones.
Use quieter products. Leaf blowers, power tools, and other household devices can exceed recommended noise guidelines by a wide margin. - Try to purchase quieter options when available, or use ear protection if the noise cannot be avoided.
- Limit your noise exposure. Move away from extremely loud noises when you can. For example, if you’re sitting right next to the loudspeaker at a stadium, consider changing locations to put distance between you and the noise.
Some of these steps may feel excessive. Nonetheless, ear protection is not something to take lightly if you care about longevity – physical and emotional – especially since most forms of hearing loss are nonreversible.
Mitigating the Effects of Hearing Loss
For individuals who already suffer from hearing loss, there are steps that can be taken to mitigate the consequences. First, the use of hearing aids can be transformational for many individuals with impaired hearing. In one study, patients receiving hearing aids reduced their rate of cognitive decline by nearly 50% compared to a control group that was given an educational course focused on healthy aging but no hearing aids.
Biotechnology is also providing new solutions to hearing loss. A team of scientists at Harvard Medical School recently devised a novel treatment for hearing loss in mouse models, utilizing cell reprogramming and regeneration techniques. “Reprogramming turns the biological clock backward, so, even in the fully mature aged animal, we turn the Myc and Notch1 on and make them young again,” one of the researchers said. While the treatment is still in mouse trials, the technology is encouraging. Another team at Harvard is already performing clinical trials in humans by targeting stem cells by turning on inactive genes in cells without the need for genetic engineering.
The Lifelong Benefits of Auditory Health
Hearing loss has wide-ranging repercussions, from increased dementia risk to social alienation. Of course, this also means that hearing preservation has wide-ranging benefits as well. Caring for our hearing is more than just preserving a key sensory input; it is an investment in a longer, richer life.