Health-related quality of life in elderly hearing aid users vs. non-users

Abstract

Background and aimPresbycusis, is usually a harbinger of aging. The negative consequences are not limited to an auditory impairment but influences a range of psychosocial and physical health concerns. The cornerstone of audiologic intervention is the use hearing aids. Optimal management should include an evaluation of quality of life (QoL) status and its assessment. Aim of this work: To quantify the quality of life of hearing impaired elderly individuals (HIEI) and to assess hearing aids impact on QoL. SubjectsElderly patients (1 2 7) above 60 years had sensorineural hearing loss ranged from mild to severe degree of hearing loss, only 24 of them (21.1%) were fitted with monaural hearing aid. MethodsEach subject of this study underwent basic audiologic evaluation, speech perception in noise, aided tonal sound field threshold and aided speech tests. Generic WHOQOL-BREF and hearing handicap inventory for the elderly (HHIE). ResultsThere were significant lower aided tonal sound field thresholds (ATSFTs) at 0.5, 1, 2 and 4 kHz of hearing aid users when compared with values of non-users at all tested frequencies. Hearing aid users perform better in all domains of WHO QOL-BREF with significant reductions in emotional, social and total scores of HHIE in users group compared with non-users indicated improvement in their QOL. There were no significant differences between scores of males and scores of females. The severity of the hearing loss had statistically significant effects on these scores for non-users but not in users group.