You can end up in the hospital if you don’t correctly manage your hearing loss symptoms. I know that sounds like an exaggeration. Most people think of hearing loss as an inconvenience that makes it tough to hear the TV or what somebody is saying at worst
But current research is causing alarm over the long-term health effects of neglected hearing loss.
How is Your Health Linked to Hearing Loss?
Hearing loss doesn’t, at first sight, seem like it has very much of a link to other health concerns. But research carried out by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health reveals that neglected hearing loss can result in a 50% increase in hospital visits over time. The longer the hearing loss goes untreated, the more severe the health troubles get.
That’s a puzzling finding: what does hearing have to do with your overall health? That question can have a complicated answer.
The Connection Between Mental Health And Hearing
Here are a number of the health concerns linked to hearing loss:
- An increase in depression and anxiety. Simply stated, untreated hearing loss can increase depression and anxiety, which will then have a strong negative effect on your physical body, to say nothing of your mental health.
- Balance balance issues. Hearing loss can make it more difficult to keep your balance and maintain situational focus.
- You begin to lose your memory. As a matter of fact, your odds of developing dementia is twice as high with untreated hearing loss.
Hearing Aids: An effective Answer
It’s not all gloom and doom, though. Far from it. The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School research suggests that up to 75% of hearing loss related mental decline can be stopped in its tracks by one simple solution: wearing a hearing aid.
Wearing a hearing aid has a profound impact on mitigating the risks associated with neglected hearing loss. According to the study, people who used hearing aids for only two weeks saw:
- Improvements in brain function.
- Improvements in awareness and balance.
- Traumatic brain injury reductions.
The team from Johns Hopkins examined data from 77,000 patients collected over around two decades. And an essential part of maintaining your health lies in protecting your hearing which is a staggering conclusion. Being sick can be costly, so caring for your hearing also safeguards your financial well being.
Preserving Your Hearing And Your Health
Hearing loss is not exclusive to getting older but it is a part of it. Hearing loss can develop at any age because of accidents, occupational hazards, or diseases.
However, it’s important to acknowledge any hearing loss you might be experiencing. Otherwise, your health could be negatively impacted.