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Managing Age-Related Hearing Loss [Featured on CONTACT South East Magazine]


For 67-year-old John Wee (not his real name) and his son, unresolved hearing issues led to frequent misunderstandings and relational strain. Miscommunications were common as Mr Wee, who suffered from hearing loss for over six years, often misheard discussions, causing repeated frustrations and emotional disconnect.

It wasn't until January this year that Mr Wee’s son persuaded him to seek professional help, where he was diagnosed with severe (55 to 60 per cent) permanent hearing loss in both ears. Initially resistant to wearing a hearing aid for fear of ridicule, encouragement from peers led him to adopt a small, discreet device. Mr Wee says he sometimes forgets that he is wearing them. 

Today, Mr Wee engages in conversations with renewed vigour, leading to a significantly improved relationship with his son.

A Common Ageing Concern

Like Mr Wee’s situation, a 2017 local study1 found that about 88 per cent of Singaporeans aged 60 and above suffer from some degree of age-related hearing loss. Ms Kausellya Subramaniam, Mr Wee’s audiologist at 20dB Digisound, explains that this condition often begins in one's early 40s and may worsen if left untreated. “As one ages, the sensory receptors in the inner ear weaken, becoming more prone to deterioration,” she says. “Side effects of certain medications elderly people take to treat multiple diseases can also lead to progressive hearing loss.”

Ms Subramaniam also highlights a link between hearing loss and serious conditions like dementia in older adults. She advises patients like Mr Wee to go for a hearing test if there are indications of hearing loss. “The procedure is painless and lasts around 10 to 15 minutes,” she says. Such tests can diagnose issues in the outer, middle and inner ears, as well as rule out temporary problems like ear wax or infections.

RECOGNISING THE SIGNS

Your parent may be experiencing hearing loss if they:

  • Often ask others to speak up or repeat themselves.
  • Struggle to follow conversations or frequently misunderstand words.
  • Rely heavily on lip-reading or facial expressions. To assess this, cover your mouth, maintain a neutral facial expression during conversations, or switch topics without providing cues to see if they can follow.

 

The article is provided by 20dB Digisound, a pioneer professional hearing care centres established in 2002, which has a large network of professional hearing care outlets with qualified audiologists and hearing care specialist in Singapore. Visit www.20dbdigisound.com for more information.

 

View full publication: https://drive.google.com/file/d/18bUs6UwQfiOWjT89qSD5d-xWpRM7tW6X/view?usp=sharing

 

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1 Lee, J. C., Danker, A. N., Wong, Y. H., & Lim, M. Y. (2017). Hearing Loss amongst the Elderly in a Southeast Asian Population – A Community-based Study. Annals of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore, 46(4), 145–154. https://doi.org/10.47102/annals-acadmedsg.v46n4p145

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