You can wind up in the hospital if you don’t properly manage your hearing loss symptoms. I know that sounds like an exaggeration. We usually consider hearing loss as little more than an inconvenience – something that makes the news a little more difficult to hear or, at worst, makes you unwittingly agree to something you didn’t mean.
But the long-term health impacts of untreated hearing loss is beginning to get serious attention from researchers.
How is Your Health Related to Hearing Loss?
At first glance, hearing loss doesn’t seem to have that much to do with other health concerns. But research conducted by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health suggests that neglected hearing loss can result in a 50% increase in hospital visits over time. The risk of severe health issues goes up the longer hearing loss remains untreated.
That’s a curious finding: how is your general state of health related to your ability to hear? The answer is challenging.
The Connection Between Mental Health And Hearing
Here are a number of the health concerns connected to hearing loss:
- Higher instance of depression and anxiety. Simply put, untreated hearing loss can increase depression and anxiety, which in turn can have a powerfully negative effect on your physical body, not to mention your mental health.
- You start to lose your memory. In fact, your odds of developing dementia is twice as high with untreated hearing loss.
- Loss of balance. Hearing loss can make it harder to keep your balance and maintain situational awareness.
Hearing Aids: A Real Solution
There’s some good news though. The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School research indicates that up to 75% of hearing loss associated mental decline can be stopped in its tracks by one easy solution: using a hearing aid.
The health risks associated with hearing loss can be significantly reduced by using hearing aids. The following improvements were noted in individuals who wore hearing aids for as little as two weeks:
- Reductions in traumatic brain injuries.
- Improvements in brain function.
- Awareness and balance improvements.
The team from Johns Hopkins studied data from 77,000 patients accumulated over roughly two decades. And a crucial part of maintaining your health lies in safeguarding your hearing which is a surprising outcome. Being sick usually costs money, so taking care of your hearing also protects your financial well being.
Caring For Your Health And Your Hearing
Hearing loss is not exclusive to getting older but it is a part of it. Because of accidents, disease, and occupational hazards, hearing loss can occur at any age.
However, it’s essential to address any hearing loss you might be noticing. Your health could depend on it.