If you’re not managing your symptoms correctly, hearing loss can hospitalize you. I know that seems like an exaggeration. We’re used to thinking of hearing loss as little more than a hassle – something that makes the news a little harder to hear or, at worst, makes you unknowingly agree to something you didn’t mean.
But the long-term health effects of untreated hearing loss is beginning to get serious attention from researchers.
How is Your Health Linked to Hearing Loss?
At first sight, hearing loss doesn’t appear to have that much to do with other health concerns. But research conducted by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health indicates that neglected hearing loss can lead to a 50% increase in hospital visits over time. The longer the hearing loss goes untreated, the more significant the health havoc get.
That seems like a strange discovery: what does hearing have to do with your general health? The answer is complicated.
The Connection Between Mental Health And Hearing
Here are a few of the health problems linked to hearing loss:
- An increase in anxiety and depression. Simply stated, untreated hearing loss can increase anxiety and depression, which in turn can have a strong negative impact on your physical body, to say nothing of your mental health.
- You begin to lose your memory. As a matter of fact, your odds of developing dementia is twice as high with untreated hearing loss.
- Balance balance issues. Hearing loss can make it harder to keep your balance and keep your situational awareness.
Hearing Aids: An effective Answer
It’s not all doom and gloom, however. Far from it. The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School research reveals that up to 75% of hearing loss associated cognitive decline can be halted by one easy solution: using a hearing aid.
The health risks linked to hearing loss can be seriously mitigated by using hearing aids. The following improvements were revealed in people who wore hearing aids for as little as two weeks:
- Reductions in traumatic brain injuries.
- Improvements in brain function.
- Awareness and balance improvements.
Over a period of around twenty years, Johns Hopkins accumulated and analyzed data from over 77,000 people. And an essential part of preserving your health lies in protecting your hearing which is a staggering conclusion. Being sick usually costs money, so taking care of your hearing also protects your financial well being.
Preserving Your Hearing And Your Health
Hearing loss is a perfectly normal part of getting older, though it’s not exclusive to getting older. Hearing loss can develop at any age as a result of occupational hazards, accidents, or diseases.
However, it’s important to acknowledge any hearing loss you might be noticing. Otherwise, your health could be negatively impacted.