Perceived Hearing Handicap of Patients with Unilateral or Mild Hearing Loss

1997 ◽  
Vol 106 (3) ◽  
pp. 210-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Craig W. Newman ◽  
Gerald A. Hug ◽  
Gary P. Jacobson ◽  
Sharon A. Sandridge
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Hearing Impairment ◽  
Pure Tone ◽  
Hearing Level ◽  
Intersubject Variability ◽  
Pure Tone Average ◽  
Hearing Handicap ◽  
Mild Hearing Loss ◽  
The Individual

Using the Hearing Handicap Inventory for Adults (HHIA), we assessed self-perceived hearing handicap in a sample of 63 patients having either unilaterally normal hearing or a mild hearing loss (pure tone average ≤40 dB hearing level). Large intersubject variability in responses to the HHIA confirmed observations that reactions to minimal hearing impairment vary greatly among patients. The individual differences in responses highlight the importance of quantifying the perceived communication and psychosocial handicap, which cannot be determined from the audiogram alone. An item examination of responses to the HHIA revealed a number of emotional and social-situational problems encountered by patients with minimal hearing loss.

scholarly journals Association of Midlife Hypertension with Late-Life Hearing Loss

2019 ◽  
Vol 161 (6) ◽  
pp. 996-1003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas S. Reed ◽  
Matthew G. Huddle ◽  
Joshua Betz ◽  
Melinda C. Power ◽  
James S. Pankow ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Diastolic Blood Pressure ◽  
Hearing Impairment ◽  
Pure Tone ◽  
Pure Tone Audiometry ◽  
Late Life ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Pure Tone Average ◽  
Prospective Longitudinal

Objective To investigate the association of midlife hypertension with late-life hearing impairment. Study Design Data from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study, an ongoing prospective longitudinal population-based study (baseline, 1987-1989). Setting Washington County, Maryland, research field site. Subjects and Methods Subjects included 248 community-dwelling men and women aged 67 to 89 years in 2013. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure were measured at each of 5 study visits from 1987-1989 to 2013. Hypertension was defined by elevated systolic or diastolic blood pressure or antihypertensive medication use. A 4-frequency (0.5-4 kHz) better-hearing ear pure tone average in decibels hearing loss (dB HL) was calculated from pure tone audiometry measured in 2013. A cutoff of 40 dB HL was used to indicate clinically significant moderate to severe hearing impairment. Hearing thresholds at 5 frequencies (0.5-8 kHz) were also considered separately. Results Forty-seven participants (19%) had hypertension at baseline (1987-1989), as opposed to 183 (74%) in 2013. The SBP association with late-life pure tone average differed by the time of measurement, with SBP measured at earlier visits associated with poorer hearing; the difference in pure tone average per 10–mm Hg SBP measured was 1.43 dB HL (95% CI, 0.32-2.53) at baseline versus −0.43 dB HL (95% CI, −1.41 to 0.55) in 2013. Baseline hypertension was associated with higher thresholds (poorer hearing) at 4 frequencies (1, 2, 4, 8 kHz). Conclusion Midlife SBP was associated with poorer hearing measured 25 years later. Further analysis into the longitudinal relationship between hypertension and hearing impairment is warranted.

Totally implantable active middle-ear implants: a large, single-surgeon cohort

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
E McCarty Walsh ◽  
D R Morrison ◽  
W J McFeely
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Word Recognition ◽  
Middle Ear ◽  
Pure Tone ◽  
Case Series ◽  
Recognition Score ◽  
Hearing Level ◽  
Pure Tone Average ◽  
Surgeon Experience ◽  
Middle Ear Implants

Abstract Objectives This study aimed to evaluate hearing outcomes and device safety in a large, single-surgeon experience with the totally implantable active middle-ear implants. Methods This was a retrospective case series review of 116 patients with moderate-to-severe sensorineural hearing loss undergoing implantation of active middle-ear implants. Results Mean baseline unaided pure tone average improved from 57.6 dB before surgery to 34.1 dB post-operatively, signifying a mean gain in pure tone average of 23.5 dB (p = 0.0002). Phonetically balanced maximum word recognition score improved slightly from 70.5 per cent to 75.8 per cent (p = 0.416), and word recognition score at a hearing level of 50 dB values increased substantially from 14.4 per cent to 70.4 per cent (p < 0.0001). Both revision and explant rates were low and dropped with increasing surgeon experience over time. Conclusion This study showed excellent post-operative hearing results with active middle-ear implants with regard to pure tone average and word recognition score at a hearing level of 50 db. Complication rates in this case series were significantly lower with increasing experience of the surgeon. Active middle-ear implants should be considered in appropriate patients with moderate-to-severe sensorineural hearing loss who have struggled with conventional amplification and are good surgical candidates.

scholarly journals Impact of Hearing Loss and Amplification on Performance on a Cognitive Screening Test

2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (07) ◽  
pp. 648-655 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabrielle H. Saunders ◽  
Ian Odgear ◽  
Anna Cosgrove ◽  
Melissa T. Frederick
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Hearing Impairment ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Pure Tone ◽  
Pure Tone Audiometry ◽  
Cognitive Screening ◽  
Strong Correlations ◽  
Speech In Noise ◽  
Hearing Ability ◽  
The Individual

AbstractThere have been numerous recent reports on the association between hearing impairment and cognitive function, such that the cognition of adults with hearing loss is poorer relative to the cognition of adults with normal hearing (NH), even when amplification is used. However, it is not clear the extent to which this is testing artifact due to the individual with hearing loss being unable to accurately hear the test stimuli.The primary purpose of this study was to examine whether use of amplification during cognitive screening with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) improves performance on the MoCA. Secondarily, we investigated the effects of hearing ability on MoCA performance, by comparing the performance of individuals with and without hearing impairment.Participants were 42 individuals with hearing impairment and 19 individuals with NH. Of the individuals with hearing impairment, 22 routinely used hearing aids; 20 did not use hearing aids.Following a written informec consent process, all participants completed pure tone audiometry, speech testing in quiet (Maryland consonant-nucleus-consonant [CNC] words) and in noise (Quick Speech in Noise [QuickSIN] test), and the MoCA. The speech testing and MoCA were completed twice. Individuals with hearing impairment completed testing once unaided and once with amplification, whereas individuals with NH completed unaided testing twice.The individuals with hearing impairment performed significantly less well on the MoCA than those without hearing impairment for unaided testing, and the use of amplification did not significantly change performance. This is despite the finding that amplification significantly improved the performance of the hearing aid users on the measures of speech in quiet and speech in noise. Furthermore, there were strong correlations between MoCA score and the four frequency pure tone average, Maryland CNC score and QuickSIN, which remain moderate to strong when the analyses were adjusted for age.It is concluded that the individuals with hearing loss here performed less well on the MoCA than individuals with NH and that the use of amplification did not compensate for this performance deficit. Nonetheless, this should not be taken to suggest the use of amplification during testing is unnecessary because it might be that other unmeasured factors, such as effort required to perform or fatigue, were decreased with the use of amplification.

Brainstem Auditory Evoked Potential Monitoring during Microvascular Decompression for Hemifacial Spasm: Intraoperative Brainstem Auditory Evoked Potential Changes and Warning Values to Prevent Hearing Loss—Prospective Study in a Consecutive Series of 84 Patients

Neurosurgery ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 54 (1) ◽  
pp. 97-106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gustavo Polo ◽  
Catherine Fischer ◽  
Marc P. Sindou ◽  
Vincent Marneffe
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Hearing Impairment ◽  
Hemifacial Spasm ◽  
Microvascular Decompression ◽  
Pure Tone ◽  
Auditory Evoked Potential ◽  
Pure Tone Average ◽  
Group 3 ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Group 2

Abstract OBJECTIVE The nerve function of Cranial Nerve VIII is at risk during microvascular decompression for hemifacial spasm. Intraoperative monitoring of brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs) can be a useful tool to decrease the danger of hearing loss. The aim of this study was 1) to assess the side effects of surgery on hearing and describe the main intraoperative BAEP changes observed in the authors' series, and 2) to define warning values beyond which the probability of hearing impairment rises significantly. These values were calculated by correlating the (possible) postoperative hearing disturbances evaluated in terms of pure tone average with intraoperative BAEP changes (especially delay in Wave V latency). METHODS This series included 84 consecutive patients affected with hemifacial spasm who underwent microvascular decompression during which BAEPs were monitored. During surgery, Wave I, I to V interpeak interval, latency, and amplitude of Wave V were recorded and measured. Auditory function was studied before and after surgery and expressed as a pure tone average in all patients. Then, correlations were made between hearing impairment after surgery and intraoperative BAEP changes in an attempt to define warning values. RESULTS Seventy-four patients (88%) had no hearing loss after surgery (Group 1). Eight patients (9.5%) had hearing impairment with a decrease in pure tone average of more than 20 dB (Group 2). Two patients (2.3%) experienced a definitive and complete hearing loss on the side operated on (Group 3). Among intraoperative BAEP changes, latency of Peak V was the most frequently observed and the most significant phenomenon, especially during cerebellar retraction and the decompression step of the microvascular decompression procedure. In the group of patients without hearing loss (Group 1), the mean delay in latency of Peak V was 0.61 millisecond (standard deviation, ±0.36 ms); in the group with hearing decrease (Group 2), the mean delay was 1.05 milliseconds (standard deviation, ±0.64 ms); and in the group with deafness (Group 3), Wave V was abolished. CONCLUSION From a practical standpoint, three warning values, based on delay in latency of Peak V, were established for use during surgery: an initial one at 0.4 millisecond (“watching” signal) at the safety limit; a second one at 0.6 millisecond (risk “warning” signal), which is the mean value corresponding to the group of patients without postoperative hearing loss; and an ultimate one at 1 millisecond (“critical” warning), before irreversibility. These warnings should help the surgeon to avoid or correct maneuvers that are dangerous for hearing function, which is mandatory in functional surgery.

scholarly journals The correlation between glycosylated haemoglobin levels with pure tone average values in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 208-212
Author(s):  
Pradeep Reddy Srikaram ◽  
Rajesh Paluru ◽  
Anuradha Mamidi ◽  
Devendra Singh Negi
Keyword(s):  
Diabetes Mellitus ◽  
Hearing Impairment ◽  
Pure Tone ◽  
Normal Subjects ◽  
Glycosylated Haemoglobin ◽  
Diabetic Patients ◽  
Hearing Level ◽  
Pure Tone Average ◽  
Hba1c Levels

Hearing plays an important role in our daily activities, if it is impaired or lost the quality of life is affected by improper communication. The diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder and affects all the systems in the body including auditory system. So assessment of hearing is important in diabetics to know the type, extent of hearing impairment which helps to take treatment decisions and preventive measures. Present study is focused on relationship between glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) levels with pure tone average (PTA) values in type 2 diabetics. Type 2 diabetic patients with (WHI) and without (WoHI) hearing impairment, both the gender was included with age limit between 35-55 years and also ten normal subjects were included as controls. Pure tone average (PTA) is the average of hearing threshold levels at different frequencies; it gives information about an individual’s hearing level in each ear. All the data were expressed as mean ± SE. The mean were analyzed by one way ANOVA. Pearson correlation test was done to see the relationship between right and left ear PTA values in normal subjects, WoHI and WHI groups with HbA1c values. In both the groups pure tone average values are not statistically correlated with HbA1c. The left ear of both WoHI (P=0.977) and WHI (P=0.490) groups shows negative correlation with HbA1c. The HbA1c values are correlated with PTA values in all subjects. The pure tone audiometry is helpful to know the status of hearing sensitivity and type, severity of the hearing impairment in the T2DM patients in relation to HbA1c levels.

Factors Affecting Hearing Aid Adoption by Adults With High-Frequency Hearing Loss: The Beaver Dam Offspring Study

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Jacqueline M. Weycker ◽  
Lauren K. Dillard ◽  
Alex Pinto ◽  
Mary E. Fischer ◽  
Karen J. Cruickshanks ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Pure Tone ◽  
Middle Age ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Pure Tone Average ◽  
Beaver Dam ◽  
Hearing Handicap ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Hearing loss (HL) is common among middle-age and older adults, but hearing aid adoption is low. The purpose of this study was to measure the 10-year incidence of hearing aid adoption in a sample of primarily middle-age adults with high-frequency HL and identify factors associated with hearing aid adoption. Method This study included 579 adults (ages 34–80 years) with high-frequency pure-tone average > 25 dB HL (3–8 kHz) enrolled in the Beaver Dam Offspring Study. Hearing aid adoption was measured at 5- and 10-year follow-up examinations. Cox discrete-time proportional hazards models were used to evaluate factors associated with hearing aid adoption (presented as hazards ratios [HRs] and 95% confidence intervals [95% CI]). Results The 10-year cumulative incidence of hearing aid adoption was 14 per 1,000 person years. Factors significantly associated with adoption in a multivariable model were higher education (vs. 16+ years; 0–12: HR: 0.36, 95% CI [0.19, 0.69]; 13–15: HR: 0.52, 95% CI [0.27, 0.98]), worse high-frequency pure-tone average (per +1 dB; HR: 1.04, 95% CI [1.02, 1.06]), self-reported hearing handicap (screening versions of the Hearing Handicap Inventory score > 8; HR: 1.85, 95% CI [1.02, 3.38]), answering yes to “Do friends and relatives think you have a hearing problem?” (HR: 3.18, 95% CI [1.60, 6.33]) and using closed captions (HR: 2.86, 95% CI [1.08, 7.57]). Effects of age and sex were not significant. Conclusions Hearing aid adoption rates were low. Hearing sensitivity, socioeconomic status, and measures of the impact of HL on daily life were associated with adoption. Provider awareness of associated factors can contribute to timely and appropriate intervention.

The Impact of Minimal to Mild Sensorineural Hearing Loss in Adults

2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (6) ◽  
pp. 55-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina M. Roup
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Pure Tone ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Normal Hearing ◽  
Pure Tone Audiogram ◽  
Hearing Ability ◽  
Hearing Handicap ◽  
Mild Hearing Loss ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

The relationship between the pure-tone audiogram and the categorization of normal hearing or a mild hearing loss fails to account for other important non-audiometric factors that impact hearing ability for approximately one-third of adults. In order to obtain a complete hearing profile of our patients who present with normal hearing or a mild hearing loss, it is necessary to consider more than simply the results of the pure-tone audiogram. Both subjective hearing handicap via questionnaire and suprathreshold auditory measures (especially in background noise) have been shown to be sensitive to deficits not captured by the pure-tone audiogram. Viable treatment options with demonstrated benefit, such as mild-gain amplification, should be considered for this population.

Feasibility of smartphone-based hearing-aid apps for patients with mild hearing loss: an exploratory pilot study (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Willy Nguyen ◽  
Miseung Koo ◽  
Seung Ha Oh ◽  
Jun Ho Lee ◽  
Moo Kyun Park
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Hearing Impairment ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Clinical Performance ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
National Standards ◽  
Hearing In Noise ◽  
Mild Hearing Loss ◽  
Consumer Devices ◽  
Selection Of

BACKGROUND Underuse of hearing aids is caused by several factors, including the stigma associated with hearing disability, affordability, and lack of awareness of rising hearing impairment associated with the growing population. Thus, there is a significant opportunity for the development of direct-to-consumer devices. For the past few years, smartphone-based hearing-aid apps have become more numerous and diverse, but few studies have investigated them. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to elucidate the electroacoustic characteristics and potential user benefits of a selection of currently available hearing-aid apps. METHODS We investigated the apps based on hearing-aid control standards (American National Standards Institute) using measurement procedures from previous studies. We categorized the apps and excluded those we considered inefficient. We investigated a selection of user-friendly, low-end apps, EarMachine and Sound Amplifier, with warble-tone audiometry, word recognition testing in unaided and aided conditions, and hearing-in-noise test in quiet and noise-front conditions in a group of users with mild hearing impairment (n = 7) as a pilot for a future long-term investigation. Results from the apps were compared with those of a conventional hearing aid. RESULTS Five of 14 apps were considered unusable based on low scores in several metrics, while the others varied across the range of electroacoustic measurements. The apps that we considered “high end” that provided lower processing latencies and audiogram-based fitting algorithms were superior overall. The clinical performance of the listeners tended to be better when using hearing aid, while the low end hearing-aid apps had limited benefits on the users. CONCLUSIONS Some apps showed the potential to benefit users with limited cases of minimal or mild hearing loss if the inconvenience of relatively poor electroacoustic performance did not outweigh the benefits of amplification.

scholarly journals Modeling Hearing Loss Progression and Asymmetry in the Older Old: A National Population-Based Survey

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 214-215
Author(s):  
Rahul Sharma ◽  
Anil Lalwani ◽  
Justin Golub
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Pure Tone ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Population Based ◽  
National Database ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Adult Lifespan ◽  
Pure Tone Average ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Public Datasets

Abstract The progression and asymmetry of age-related hearing loss has not been well characterized in those 80 years of age and older because public datasets mask upper extremes of age to protect anonymity. We aimed to model the progression and asymmetry of hearing loss in the older old using a representative, national database. This was a cross-sectional, multicentered US epidemiologic analysis using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Study (NHANES) 2005-2006, 2009-2010, and 2011-2012 cycles. Subjects included non-institutionalized, civilian adults 80 years and older (n=621). Federal security clearance was granted to access publicly-restricted age data. Outcome measures included pure-tone average air conduction thresholds and the 4-frequency pure tone average (PTA). 621 subjects were 80 years old or older (mean=84.2 years, range=80-104 years), representing 10,600,197 Americans. Hearing loss exhibited constant acceleration across the adult lifespan at a rate of 0.0052 dB/year2 (95% CI = 0.0049, 0.0055). Compounded over a lifetime, the velocity of hearing loss would increase five-fold, from 0.2 dB loss/year at age 20 to 1 dB loss/year at age 100. This model predicted mean PTA within 2 dB of accuracy for most ages between 20 and 100 years. There was no change in the asymmetry of hearing loss with increasing age over 80 years (linear regression coefficient of asymmetry over age=0.07 (95% CI=-0.01, 0.24). In conclusion, hearing loss steadily and predictably accelerates across the adult lifespan to at least age 100, becoming near-universal. These population-level statistics will guide treatment and policy recommendations for hearing health in the older old.

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