[The assessment of hearing impairment in patients over 60 years of age using hearing aids].
OBJECTIVE
To assess the hearing impairment in people over 60 years old using hearing aids. This was a single-center study, but it is planned to extend it further to the whole country.


METHODS
The study was focused on patients with hearing aids. During the assessment 57 people were included in the observation in order to control the status of their hearing loss and benefit from traditional hearing aids as well as the possibility to apply the auditory implants in case of a little benefit from hearing aids. The otoscopy and pure tone audiometry were performed as well as the questionnaires on demographic and epidemiological data of patients were collected as well as the quality of their life with hearing aids was subjectively assessed.


RESULTS
The results show that 91% of patients have sensorineural hearing loss (SHL), the remaining 9%--severe mixed hearing loss. Severe SHL was found in 22 patients, the moderate hearing loss was observed in 37%, and the profound SHL was the case in 5 patients. Minimal SHL was observed in 7% of patients (n=4). More than 73% of the study subjects were male (n=38). The average age of the patients who completed the survey was 74 years old. Thirty-five patients used their hearing aid over 3 years and less than 70% of them used it every day all day. Hearing aid was not actively used by 10 patients. Over the last year 51.92% of the patients underwent a hearing examination.


CONCLUSIONS
The bone anchored hearing aid was suggested to 2% of subjects and the cochlear implant was offered to 10 patients. The data analysis shows the need to educate and inform the elderly about alternative methods of hearing loss treatment.
Dolnośląskie Centrum Laryngologii Medicus we Wrocławiu.
Aleksandra
A
Skrzypek
Katedra i Klinika Audiologii i Foniatrii UM w Poznaniu.
Alicja
A
Sekula
Medicus Aparatura i Instrumenty Medyczne Sp. Z o.o. S.K.A.
Maria Bratumiła
MB
Deryło
Medicus Aparatura i Instrumenty Medyczne Sp. Z o.o. S.K.A. Electronic address: joanna.kusmierczyk@wp.pl.
Joanna
J
Kuśmierczyk
Medicus Aparatura i Instrumenty Medyczne Sp. Z o.o. S.K.A.
Marcin
M
Talar
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003054:Cochlear Implants; D005260:Female; D006310:Hearing Aids; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
Elderly; Hearing aids; Hearing impairment; Quality of life; aparaty słuchowe; jakość życia; niedosłuch; osoby starsze