Photo credit: Pixabay
by Daniel Fink, MD, Chair, The Quiet Coalition
The New York Times Ask Well column recently covered hidden hearing loss, with the title, “Can’t hear conversations in a crowd? It could be hidden hearing loss.” An accessible if slightly more technical article by one of the leading researchers in this field offers an explanation.
What is hidden hearing loss? It’s the ability to hear well in a quiet setting, with standard hearing tests showing normal or near-normal findings, but the patient complains of being unable to follow conversations in a noisy environment. Hidden hearing loss is thought to be the result of damage to nerve connections in the inner ear, and it manifests itself as speech in noise difficulty.
Now, as reported on Technology Networks, research done at Johns Hopkins University provides additional insights into potential causes of speech in noise difficulty. In an ingenious experiment, the response to a sound by younger mice compared to older mice was studied while nerve cells in the brain were imaged using research techniques. The study showed that the older mice were less capable of turning off certain brain cells when ambient noise was present, making it difficult for them to hear specific sounds. Similar changes in humans might explain speech in noise difficulty.
The exact prevalence of speech in noise difficulty isn’t known, with different studies providing a range from 20-50% depending on the population studied and research techniques used. Because many older people have hearing loss, ambient noise in restaurants and retail stores is a disability rights issue and a major issue for older Americans.
A quieter world will help prevent hearing loss and will allow everyone to enjoy both the meal and the conversation with their dining companions.
And it will be a better and healthier world for all. Including older mice!
