Susan Baker
It’s time for the new perspective in BrainHearing™. Supporting the brain in how it makes sense of sound has always been Susan’s vision and treatment plan for her patients. She believes that Oticon has a vision that is at the forefront of hearing care and will turn the new perspective in BrainHearing into a reality.
A hearing problem can become brain problems. Downgrading sound input to the brain and failing to treat the hearing loss in the correct way can have a variety of consequences.**
• Increased listening effort
With less sound information, it is harder for the brain to recognize sounds. It must fill in the gaps, which requires more listening effort.
• Increased mental load
Having to guess what people are saying and what is happening increases the mental load on the brain and leaves less mental capacity for remembering and performing.
• Reorganized brain functionality
Without enough stimulation in the hearing center, the visual center and other senses start to compensate, which changes the function of the brain.
• Accelerated cognitive decline
Increased mental load, lack of stimulation and reorganized brain functionality is linked to accelerated cognitive decline, which affects the ability to remember, learn, concentrate, and make decisions.
• Accelerated brain volume shrinkage
All human brains reduce in size with age, but the shrinkage process accelerates when the brain must work against the natural way it processes sound.
And so, the brain problems can turn into life problems. A limited sound scene without access to the right input can lead to serious problems in life.***
• Social isolation and depression
People with untreated hearing loss can end up avoiding social gatherings because they are unable to cope with complex sound environments.
• Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease
The risk for dementia increases five-fold for severe-to-profound hearing loss, three-fold for moderate hearing loss and two-fold for mild hearing loss.
• Poor balance and fall-related injuries
Untreated hearing loss can affect balance, increasing the risk of fall-related injuries three-fold. Susan is excited to share information regarding BrainHearing™ with you. Susan Baker is the owner and operator of Advanced Hearing Services in Fort Collins. She has been helping people with hearing loss and Tinnitus for the past 21 years. Please call (970) 221-5249 for an appointment today!