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MILLIONS of people who need hearing aids do not believe they have a problem. Researchers believe that as many as one in three aged over 50 may be missing out on treatment which could also cut their risk of dementia. PhD researcher Dalia Tsimpida and her colleagues at the University of Manchester analysed data from more than 8,500 people aged 50-89 years old who took part in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. They were asked to fill in questionnaires and then had their hearing tested by a nurse using a screening device. Of the 2,266 participants found to suffer from hearing loss severe enough to benefit from a  hearing aid, some 684 believed they had normal hearing. Ms Tsimpida said: “The problem with hearing loss is that most of the time it happens gradually and people don’t notice changes. “Untreated hearing difficulty can have a negative impact on mental and physical health, and there is a link with dementia as well. “But the findings reveal that many hearing loss cases may remain undiagnosed because people often cannot recognise their hearing has been affected.” Previous studies suggest that mild hearing loss may double the risk of dementia, while severe hearing loss could increase risk five-fold. Action on Hearing Loss estimates that the issue affects over 12 million people in the UK and costs the economy around £25billion a year in lost productivity and unemployment. That figure is expected to grow to 15 million – a fifth of the population – by 2035. Hearing loss in older age is usually caused by wear and tear to the tiny hair cells in the inner ear. Around 40 per cent of people over 50 in the UK have some form of hearing loss, according to Age UK. The study, published in JAMA Network Open, found women and those living in more deprived areas were at higher risk of not recognising hearing loss.

Period28 Aug 2020

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