HAGERSTOWN – Hearing loss affects more than just the ability to detect sound; it can also have a significant impact on mental health and overall well-being, according to a physician with Meritus Health.
When discussing the connection between hearing loss and emotional health, Dr. Brian McKinnon, a physician at Meritus Advanced Ear, Nose, and Throat and chair of the surgical department at Meritus Health, referenced Helen Keller, who was both deaf and blind.
“She once said, ‘Blindness separates people from things; deafness separates people from people,’” McKinnon said.
Isolation and cognitive decline
McKinnon said hearing loss, particularly among older adults, is linked to loneliness and increased dependence on others due to limited communication. It also is associated with anxiety, depression and cognitive decline.
“Culturally, how is deafness handled by society?” he said. “It’s very distinct from blindness. Both create forms of social isolation, with blindness portrayed in the Western canon and culture as metaphorical isolation, deafness portrayed as disconnection and isolation from the community.”
As the nation’s population ages, the issue is becoming more widespread. A 2011 paper McKinnon co-authored on age-related hearing loss cited research from the Medical College of Georgia showing hearing loss is a chronic condition in 77 percent of adults ages 60 to 69. A similar study from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine found even higher rates among individuals ages 80 to 96.
Hearing loss can be caused by aging or prolonged exposure to loud noise. McKinnon, who has mild high-frequency hearing loss from his time on active duty in the U.S. Navy, said noise protection is critical.
“I was around things that went ‘boom,’” he said.
He encourages people to be mindful of volume levels, particularly when using headphones in noisy environments such as while mowing the lawn.
“We put earphones in our ears or put on headphones,” he said. “But then we turn up the volume so we can hear the music or podcast over the sound of the lawn mower.”
Testing and treatment options
McKinnon recommends establishing a baseline hearing test in your 40s or 50s and repeating the test every two to three years as you age.
“Treat it like you would getting your blood checked or getting a physical,” he said.
Treatment options may include hearing aids or surgery in certain cases. McKinnon is among a limited number of physicians between Hagerstown and Baltimore or Washington, D.C., who perform cochlear implant surgery. The devices are surgically implanted in the inner ear with an external component worn outside the head.
Studies have shown cochlear implants can improve quality of life for patients and their families by restoring communication and social engagement.
McKinnon said history reflects the impact of hearing on connection and culture.
“In the cultural history of Western canon, there are a number of great sages who are blind,” he said, referencing the poet Homer, traditionally credited with writing “The Odyssey.” “There were no deaf sages. The only major fictional character I can recall as being deaf is Quasimodo from Victor Hugo’s ‘The Hunchback of Notre-Dame,’ who is deaf from the ringing of the bells. That’s because you couldn’t learn the language. You were isolated.”
For more information about hearing services and treatment options, readers may visit meritushealth.com/ent.
