New research highlights benefits of early hearing aid fitting

20 December 2005

The country's medical charity for deaf and hard of hearing people, Deafness Research UK, today welcomed the introduction of a telephone hearing check [1] for people who suspect they might have a hearing loss.

Deafness Research UK's Chief Executive, Vivienne Michael said: "Currently, three quarters of adults with a hearing loss never obtain a hearing aid and those who eventually do so put up with declining hearing for approximately 15 years before seeking help.

"Yet research now shows quite clearly that people who are fitted with hearing aids early are likely to get more benefit from them than those who put up with a hearing loss for years before seeking help."

The new research by Dr Ianis Gianopoulos from the University of Wales [2], found that people between the ages of 50 and 65 who were fitted with hearing aids under a trial screening programme reported greater satisfaction with them than typical hearing aid recipients, who are on average around the age of 70, and have lived with declining hearing for several years.

The research shows that people who are fitted with a hearing aid early make greater use of their aid, are able to hear speech better and participate more in social activities.

"Our own research has shown that 40% of people with a hearing problem admit that communication with their partner has become more difficult and a quarter of them say they are missing out on social events," says Ms Michael [3].

"What people perhaps don’t realise is that, thanks to digital technology, hearing aids are much more effective than they used to be, especially so if they are fitted early. This is because the longer the brain is deprived of sound stimulation, the harder it finds it to re-learn the sounds generated by a hearing aid."

A recent national survey [4] has highlighted the stigma surrounding hearing loss and hearing aids, with 36% of those interviewed saying they thought hearing aids would make them look old, and a third saying they would make them look disabled. Almost a third would be put off getting a hearing aid even if they were told they needed one.

Deafness Research UK has produced a new booklet to help people recognise the early signs of hearing loss and what they can do about it. The new booklet, Help for your hearing loss, is available by calling the Deafness Research UK Information Service on 020 7679 8970, by emailing , or writing to Deafness Research UK, PO Box 49740, London, WC1X 8WU.

The charity emphasises that despite the recent research findings, hearing aids can benefit a person with a hearing loss at any age. "One gentleman we spoke to recently now realises he should have had hearing aids fitted over 20 years ago. He is thrilled to be able to talk on the telephone for the first time, and can now join in family conversations. He didn't realise until he got hearing aids how isolated he had been," said Ms Michael.

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Notes to editors

• Interviews with people who have benefited from getting a hearing aid can be arranged by calling the Deafness Research UK Media Office on 020 7837 8092.
• Vivienne Michael is available for interview. Vivienne serves on the Board of the United Kingdom Council on Deafness (UKCoD) and the Executive Council of the Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC). She has been Chief Executive of Deafness Research UK for over 15 years.
• Deafness Research UK is the only national charity dedicated to supporting medical research into deafness and other hearing problems. It changed its name from Defeating Deafness on 12th September 2005.

Media contact

Georgina Vincent
phone 020 7679 8973
email

Footnotes

[1] Telephone Hearing check developed by RNID and available by calling 0845 600 55 55

[2] Stephens, SDG, Gianopoulos I. Chapter 4. In: Davis A et al, editors. Acceptability, benefit and costs of early screening for hearing disability. Health Technology Assessment 2005

[3] Deafness Research UK (2002) Attitudinal Research Project

[4] Taken from a survey conducted in September 2005 by Tickbox.net on behalf of Specsavers Hearcare