The impact of hearing loss on people’s
lives
…. and what we can do about it
Harvey Dillon
Children
• General community –
~
• Indigenous children –
– Otitis Media
– Central auditory processing disorder
– English as a second language
Central auditory
processing disorder
Conductive
hearing loss
Indigenous children
Ear
infections
Poor living
conditions
Health
Fed
State
Difficulty in
classroom
Education
Poor
employment
prospects
Poor
education
More Support for Students
with Disabilities Initiative
Effects of hearing loss
Leisure
noise
Workplace
noise
Environmental
factors
Genetic predispositions
Age
Hearing
damage
Noise damaged
Good
Primary Neural Degeneration after TTS: Mouse
Loss of post-synaptic terminals matches loss or pre-synaptic ribbons
Control
Kujawa & Liberman, 2009
3 days post-exposure
6
Effects of hearing loss
Leisure
noise
Workplace
noise
Environmental
factors
Genetic predispositions
Age
Hearing
damage
Difficulty
hearing in
noise & reverb
Effect of hearing loss on speech in noise
Deterioration
Effect of mild loss on speech in noise
High cue SRT = -19.101+0.2377*x
-8
-10
-12
-14
-16
High cue SRT
-18
-20
-22
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
4FAHL worse ear
18
20
22
24
26
Effects of hearing loss
Leisure
noise
Social
withdrawal
Workplace
noise
Environmental
factors
Genetic predispositions
Age
Hearing
damage
Difficulty
hearing in
noise & reverb
Depression,
decreased
independence,
quality of life
…….
Untreated hearing loss has been
statistically associated with:
• Depression
• Social isolation, psychological withdrawal,
loneliness
• Decreased self-sufficiency
• Decreased cognitive functioning
• Decreased psychosocial well-being
• Decreased access to health services
• Higher mortality rate
Treatment with hearing aids improves:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Depression, anxiety, paranoia
Social interaction
Emotional functioning
Cognitive functioning
Learning ability
Alertness
Psycho-social well-being
Effects of hearing loss
Leisure
noise
Social
withdrawal
Workplace
noise
Environmental
factors
Genetic predispositions
Age
Hearing
damage
Depression,
decreased
independence,
quality of life
…….
Difficulty
hearing in
noise & reverb
Cessation of
work;
Underachievement
at work
$6.7 bn loss
Economic impact
• Untreated hearing loss leads to $11.75 bn p.a. in lost
economic activity – Access Economics (2006)
– $6.7 bn from productivity loss (lower work-force participation and
effectiveness)
160,000
Australians with hearing loss per year of age
140,000
4.8m – 17%
2030
120,000
3.8m – 15%
100,000
2020
80,000
3.1m – 14%
2011
60,000
40,000
20,000
20
30
40
50
60
70
Age
80
90
100
≥101
Minimising the effects of hearing loss
Leisure
noise
Research +
Public
health
Research
campaigns
Social
withdrawal
Workplace
noise
Environmental
factors
Genetic predispositions
Age
Hearing
damage
Depression,
decreased
independence,
quality of life
…….
Focussed hearing
Difficulty
rehabilitation
hearing in
noise & reverb
program
Cessation of
work;
Underachievement
at work
$6.7 bn loss
Thanks for your attention