If you’re not treating your symptoms properly, hearing loss can hospitalize you. I know that sounds like an exaggeration. Most individuals think of hearing loss as an inconvenience that makes it hard to hear the TV or what someone is saying at worst
But the long-term health effects of untreated hearing loss is beginning to get serious attention from researchers.
What Does Hearing Loss Have to do With Your Health?
At first glance, hearing loss doesn’t appear to have that much to do with other health concerns. But research carried out by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health reveals that over time, visits to the hospital can increase by as much as 50% for someone with neglected hearing loss. The danger of severe health issues goes up the longer hearing loss goes untreated.
That seems like a curious discovery: how is your overall state of health linked to your ability to hear? That question can have a complicated answer.
The Connection Between Mental Health And Hearing
Untreated hearing loss has been linked to a number of other health issues, including:
- Loss of balance. Hearing loss can make it more difficult to keep your balance and maintain situational focus.
- Higher instance of depression and anxiety. Basically, the likelihood of anxiety and depression rises with hearing loss and that will bring about health issues both physical and mental.
- You start to lose your memory. As a matter of fact, your odds of developing dementia is twice as high with neglected hearing loss.
Hearing Aids Really Help
There’s some good news though. The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School research suggests that up to 75% of hearing loss related mental decline can be halted by one easy solution: wearing a hearing aid.
Wearing a hearing aid has a powerful impact on eliminating the dangers associated with neglected hearing loss. The following improvements were revealed in people who used hearing aids for as little as two weeks:
- Improvements in brain function.
- Improvements in balance and awareness.
- Traumatic brain injury reductions.
Over a period of around two decades, Johns Hopkins accumulated and examined data from over 77,000 individuals. And a crucial part of preserving your health lies in safeguarding your hearing which is a surprising outcome. Taking care of your hearing health also helps your finances, because being sick can be expensive.
Caring For Your Health And Your Hearing
Hearing loss is a perfectly typical part of the aging process, although it’s not exclusive to aging. Because of accidents, occupational hazards, and disease, hearing loss can occur regardless of how old you are.
However, it’s important to address any hearing loss you may be experiencing. Your health could depend on it.