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Healthy Hearing Means Healthier Aging
April 16, 2021

Healthy Hearing Means Healthier Aging

A close up of a person 's head with a glowing brain

It is your brain that interprets sounds and assigns them meaning.


It is a fact of life that aging can bring changes to your physical, mental and emotional health. However, smart choices based on today’s knowledge and research can lessen the impacts of aging, helping you have a happy, healthy life during your golden years. One of those smart choices is to address hearing loss when you first notice you are struggling in your listening environments.


For years, hearing loss has been viewed as an inescapable consequence of aging, something you must accept rather than address. People also tend to think that hearing loss has little bearing on other aspects of health, but research has proven the opposite. That is great news because, while hearing loss can impact older adults in far-reaching ways, treating hearing loss—with one or a combination of options that technology now makes available—can mean a longer, fuller, happier life. Let’s explore how!


The important link between your ears and your brain
Your ears are made up of many intricate parts, which function as the apparatus that transfer sound to your brain. These parts are certainly important, but make no mistake, it is your brain that does the heavy lifting when it comes to your sense of hearing. Why? Because it is your brain that interprets sounds and assigns them meaning. For example, every driver has experienced a blaring ambulance siren approaching from behind. That siren is just a bunch of noise until your brain spurs you to action to pull over and allow the ambulance to pass. Understanding how your ears and brain work in harmony is an important concept in recognizing the impact of hearing loss so hold that thought, and let’s discuss the most common type of hearing loss.


Understanding the most common type of age-related hearing loss
While there are various types of hearing loss, sensorineural hearing loss is the most common that a person experiences as a byproduct of aging. This loss occurs when the sensitive sensory hair cells inside your cochlea—that organ in your inner ear that looks like a spiral-shaped seashell—that are critical for sound conversion are partially or permanently damaged. This damage can occur simply because of the aging process and/or as a condition passed down genetically from one family member to another. It also can be hastened by exposing your ears to loud noises over the course of a lifetime.


The effects of hearing loss 
So how can hearing loss affect you? While the information that follows may seem daunting, don’t despair! Read on to gain a deeper understanding of the links between hearing loss and aging and to learn how much good news there is today for avoiding the negative impacts of hearing loss.


Notably, many types of hearing loss, and particularly sensorineural hearing loss, tend to happen gradually over time, making it more difficult to detect. Most people with this type of hearing loss make daily adjustments they don’t even realize they are making. A prime example is when you are having a conversation: Talking to a single speaker in a quiet room may not seem difficult because the listener is combining the sound that is reaching the impaired ear(s) with the techniques of reading the person’s lips and interpreting hand gestures and other body language. However, in a noisy environment like a crowded restaurant or at a large family gathering, the listener has background noise and/or multiple talkers to try to listen to. Juggling all these sounds can make it very difficult to decipher speech from amongst the other noises.


A person may also experience what’s called listening fatigue because of the extreme cognitive load the brain is “lifting” as it works overtime trying to keep up in these challenging listening environments. As your brain puts in this overtime, it must “rob” resources that it would otherwise dedicate to thinking, memory and other processes that it accomplished effortlessly before hearing loss.


Also, as hearing loss worsens, a person may start to withdraw from gatherings with family and friends because of listening frustration. This can lead to social isolation, which can cause feelings of anxiety and depression.


Additionally, research now suggests that the areas of the brain that help you hear can even begin to atrophy or shrink when they are no longer stimulated by sound. This can have a cascading effect on other parts of the brain leading to further brain decline, and some studies show a consistent link between hearing loss and a greater risk of developing dementia.


Plus, the consequence of hearing loss can extend beyond dementia. Since the cochlea of the inner ear not only regulates hearing but also your sense of balance, a person with cochlear damage is at a higher risk for falling. Falls often lead to hospitalization and a temporary or permanent move to an assisted living or nursing home facility.


Now, cue the good news!!!


Goods news! Healthy hearing can lead to healthier aging
It stands to reason that if hearing loss can contribute and/or cause the negative impacts outlined in this article then addressing your hearing loss can slow or reverse these outcomes. Yes!

Hearing aid technology continues to advance every year. Smaller devices offer ever-improving sound quality. Plus, a hearing aid wearer can have complete Bluetooth connectivity as your hearing aids stream to your mobile phone, your television and through your car speakers. Nowadays, adjustments to volume and even various listening environments can be changed through the touch of a button on your aids and/or through an app on your mobile phone. In fact, one major hearing aid manufacturer has released technology recently that requires a simple touch of your finger to the side of your ear to activate the hearing aid’s functionality, and another manufacturer offers artificial intelligence technology that can detect a change in heart rhythm or if the wearer has fallen. 

 

Taking the next steps
If you or someone you know has hearing loss, it’s time to take control of your hearing health. Here are some action steps.


Visit an audiologist for a hearing diagnostic
As you begin your journey to healthy hearing and healthier aging, be sure to choose a reputable audiology practice where you will see a university-trained audiologist. Bear in mind that some hearing aid clinics employ hearing instrument specialists, rather than audiologists. Hearing instruments specialists do not have formalized university training in audiology. Also, hearing aid franchise stores sell proprietary technology that can only be serviced at their locations rather than by any hearing aid clinic. Additionally, the decision to purchase hearing aids at big box stores, over the internet or by phone can lead to frustrations as patient support and continuity of care are often lacking.


Get hearing aids
Hearing aids are medical devices, and an audiologist is the most qualified professional to fit them. Choose an audiology practice that offers you access to a variety of hearing aid manufacturers. Look for a practice that works with all the most reputable manufacturers—ReSound, Phonak, Lyric, Oticon, Widex, Starkey and Signia. Ideally, your audiologist will conduct your hearing diagnostic and ask you a variety of questions about your lifestyle and common listening environments in order to make recommendations for the hearing aid brand and technology level that will best address your unique hearing loss. Give yourself time to adjust to your hearing aids and be sure to visit your audiologist regularly for ongoing follow-up appointments so that you can continue to get the best results from your technology.


Get the benefits of your insurance coverage
Be sure to choose an audiology practice that works with a host of insurance companies, verifies your benefits for your hearing diagnostic and technology and files your claim with your insurance. Some hearing aid dispensers do not work with your insurance so you may not get benefits that are coming to you simply because the clinic does not file them.


Try assistive devices
Work with your audiologist to explore other assistive devices in addition to your hearing aids that may help. Closed captioning telephones and devices for activities like watching television, attending work meetings and listening at large group events like church services can take your listening to the next level. Hands-free devices for your car can help you stay connected and compliant with the hands-free laws.


The future has never been brighter for those with hearing loss, and understanding the far-reaching effects that untreated hearing loss can have on your future is just another reason to act now. Get your hearing tested today and take control of your health now and as you age.

Cochlear implantation: A game changer for Chattanooga native, Chipper Gocke

March 6, 2025
Chipper Gocke, 28, has had many poignant moments in the last six weeks since his cochlear implant surgery. “A workmate commented recently that my speaking voice is the appropriate volume now. Not being able to hear myself, I probably often talked too loud before. It seems like a small thing, but it is a way to be more normalized in my professional and other settings.” His mother, Amy Gocke, also has noticed the changes. “Chipper has never called me on the phone before. With his profound lifelong hearing loss and even using powerful hearing aids, he simply couldn’t communicate by phone. Now I look forward to his calls every day after he gets off work.” These daily experiences that people often take for granted—communicating with a workmate or calling a family member to say hello—are now possible for Chipper because of his cochlear implant. Hearing loss has been a part of Chipper’s life since he was a small child. Chipper’s father, Ted Gocke, relates, “From the time he was 18 months old, Chipper had ear infections that had us in and out of the hospital. That led to tubes in his ears and the diagnosis that he had a significant hearing loss.” As a youngster, Chipper received early intervention services before he even reached school age. He also got established with local audiologist, Darnell Scafe, and they reconnected recently when Chipper sought out Darnell for hearing health care services as an adult. Darnell, who joined the Johnson Audiology team in 2018, says, “I remember Chipper as a sweet little boy who didn’t let his hearing loss slow him down. It’s wonderful to get to know the fine, capable young man he has grown into.” Last year, Darnell encouraged Chipper to consider a cochlear implant, and she referred him to Johnson Audiology’s Cochlear Implant Program Director, Dr. Hannah Dearth. Dr. Dearth then was able to complete cochlear implant candidacy testing. In November of last year, Chipper’s surgery was performed at Murfreesboro Medical Clinic (MMC) in Middle Tennessee by an otolaryngologist (ENT). A native of Chattanooga, Chipper traveled for the initial surgery since there is not currently an ENT in Chattanooga who performs CI surgeries. However, Chipper then had his cochlear implant activated at Johnson Audiology (JA) by Dr. Dearth in early January. Also, there to celebrate activation day was Darnell. “It felt like a full circle moment when Dr. Dearth activated Chipper’s cochlear implant, and he began to have those first sound perceptions.” Dr. Dearth explains, “People often wonder how a hearing aid and a cochlear implant are different. Cochlear implants are designed for patients whose hearing aids are no longer assisting them in understanding in both quiet and noisy environments. A hearing aid is designed to provide amplification for speech sounds that are unintelligible without said amplification. Cochlear implants are a surgical option for those who are no longer able to achieve meaningful understanding with a traditional hearing aid. Hearing aids rely on the ear’s natural pathway for hearing to accomplish this and so may not work well for someone with severe damage to the inner ear. A cochlear implant, on the other hand, bypasses the damaged parts of the ear by stimulating the auditory nerve directly with a mild electrical current that sends the sound signal to the brain.” Chipper is committed to his own success with his cochlear implant and in addition to listening to the speech of those around him, he is also tuning in to podcasts and audiobooks that give him even more speech exposure. Dr. Dearth says that is a huge factor in any patient’s ability to thrive with the device. “The patients who are committed to the aural rehabilitation as prescribed experience faster progress and higher success rates long term.” Chipper will continue regular follow-up appointments for the rest of his life to maintain successful progress with his CI. He gets emotional talking about the social isolation that can be a common side effect of profound hearing loss and, also, mentions the spatial awareness that better hearing offers. “Being able to pinpoint sound and localize stimuli from both sides of the head has positive effects for living a safe life,” Dr. Dearth says. Dr. Megan Johnson, audiologist, founder, and owner of JA, says, “Johnson Audiology has provided support for cochlear implant patients since 2017 with care offered through the practice’s location on Lee Highway in the East Brainerd area. After implantation, every other part of a CI patient’s hearing journey can be accomplished at Johnson Audiology—from initial activation to routine mapping.”  Chipper and his parents encourage people to explore the possibility of cochlear implants since it can make such a difference in a person’s daily life and function. Johnson Audiology is accepting new patients who currently wear hearing aids but would like to pursue cochlear implant candidacy as well as those who already have a cochlear implant. Call Johnson Audiology at 423.556.7185 or visit www.johnsonaudiology.com/schedule for more information or to schedule an appointment.

Untreated hearing loss is changing your brain

By Jan Hollingsworth • May 16, 2024
Research reveals that hearing loss actually rewires your neural pathways Your Amazing Brain Your brain is an amazing organ! This wrinkly, reddish-pink mass weighs about the same as your two-slice toaster, tipping the scales at about three pounds. Acting as a master control center, your brain enables every thought, breath, eye blink, heartbeat, movement—everything—that happens in your body. Rivaling the world’s most powerful supercomputer, your brain can download, process, and react in milliseconds to the tidal wave of information coming from your eyes, skin, nose, tongue, and ears. Neuroplasticity and Your Sense of Hearing Researchers have discovered that the human nervous system—made up of the brain, spinal cord, and a complex network of nerves—has incredible capacity to modify itself, both in function and physical structure. This is called neural plasticity . Dr. Megan Johnson, audiologist and owner of Johnson Audiology explains, “Neural plasticity is going gangbusters in a child’s brain as the child develops and matures into adulthood. Based on years of brain research, we also know that the adult brain is far from being fixed. It, too, changes and adapts when you learn new information or skills or as a response to stress, hormonal fluctuations, drug interactions, injury, and much more.” Dr. Johnson also relates that “your brain displays neuroplasticity when you experience hearing loss.” By measuring brain waves using an electroencephalograph, or EEG, scientists have studied how the brain of a person with hearing loss functions compared to a person with normal hearing. The results are both fascinating and sobering as studies reveal that, in those with hearing loss, the portion of the brain devoted to hearing becomes reorganized. This can be true even with early-stage, mild hearing loss, and the process happens quickly, often in months rather than years. The Hearing Center of Your Brain and Beyond What is actually happening when this takes place? Your brain has a right and a left hemisphere and six major lobes. Think of your frontal lobe as your brain’s boss, where executive functions like decision making, emotion and impulse control, and planning occur. Your temporal lobe, which contains the auditory cortex, is doing the heavy lifting when it comes to interpreting sounds and assigning those sounds meaning. The temporal lobe processes speech and language, and it is where initial learning of new information takes place, which is the first step for logging that information into memory. Dr. Johnson goes on to relate, “When the delicate infrastructure of your ear has become damaged through noise exposure, infection, etc. leading to hearing loss, your auditory cortex cries out to your frontal lobe, saying ‘Help! Help! I’m not receiving any sound to process, so I feel lost.’ The frontal lobe ‘boss’ jumps to attention, and your occipital lobe, responsible for processing vision and touch, takes over the areas in which hearing is normally processed. In other words, your other senses seek to compensate for the deficit due to the loss of your sense of hearing.” Amazing, right? So, where’s the rub? Picture a car assembly line; each worker has an assigned task. One day, the worker who installs the windshields is absent, and the worker who attaches the rearview mirrors is assigned double duty, and a duty that was not part of job training. It is easy to see how the worker left juggling both jobs is compromised, and a car might slip through minus a rear view mirror. Similarly, the areas of your brain that are being taxed to make up for a lack of hearing are overloaded and less able to do their assigned responsibilities. “This explains why so many of my patients with hearing loss relate feeling exhausted and frustrated after a big family gathering—where multiple talkers and sounds must be interpreted—rather than happy and invigorated by the experience. We call this listening fatigue ,” states Dr. Johnson. Additionally, when left untreated long enough, researchers point to the brain’s reorganization due to hearing loss as a significant correlation with dementia. Hearing Technology and Your Brain “But here's the great news!” Dr. Johnson says. When a person is fit with hearing aids or a cochlear implant and sound is restored, the brain has the ability to adjust back—partially or completely—to proper function. How swiftly that happens often depends on how long the hearing loss went untreated and is why she encourages patients to treat hearing loss sooner rather than later. “Here is what I tell patients who are downplaying the importance of hearing: If you won’t treat your hearing loss for the sake of your ears, do it for your brain!”
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