Hearing Devices and Fatigue

We know it can be exhausting to keep up to date on all of the pertinent research literature in our field. Luckily, Holman, et al (2021) recently published a nice review of the literature related to hearing loss and hearing device use as it relates to fatigue.

We previously shared with you their findings related to hearing loss and fatigue, now let us see what these authors found in regards to the fitting of a hearing device.

Of the six studies to look at the subjective impressions of fatigue, four (67 percent) supported the idea that the fitting of a hearing device resulted in lower feelings of fatigue. In addition, one study that used a behavioral measure of fatigue also found decreased levels of fatigue with the fitting of a hearing device.

While these results do suggest hearing devices may be beneficial for lessening fatigue, the authors do report concerns regarding the quality of the evidence and the need for additional research in this area. Concerns related to differences in device (cochlear implant versus hearing aid), populations, and measurement tools, as well as a low number of studies.   

Reference

Holman J, Drummond A, Naylor G. (2021) The effect of hearing loss and hearing device fitting on fatigue in adults: a systematic review. Ear Hear 42:1-11