Earwax a Simple Culprit for Hearing Issues and Vertigo in Assisted Living

The buildup of earwax causes hearing problems for more than 30 percent of seniors, with 2017 guidelines for removal of impacted earwax from the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation noting up to 66 percent of people in nursing communities may have this condition, according to Kaiser Health News . Payment records analysis showed federal Medicare recipients logged nearly 1.7 million earwax removal services at a cost of more than $51 million in 2016. "It seems like such a basic thing, but it's one of the most common reasons people present for hearing-related problems," says Seattle otolaryngologist Seth Schwartz. The problem was so bad that Janie York of Omaha, Neb., founded Hear Now mobile hearing solutions, which cleans hearing aids and checks the ears of seniors in residential care communities. Julie Brown at SilverRidge Assisted Living in Gretna, Neb., notes impacted earwax can be a particular problem for people with dementia. Exacerbated hearing loss can hinder communication and worsen aggression and other difficult behaviors. A 2014 study by Japanese researchers revealed significant improvements in hearing and cognitive performance in seniors with memory disorders when impacted earwax was removed.