You can wind up in the hospital if you don’t properly manage your hearing loss symptoms. I know that seems like an exaggeration. Most people think of hearing loss as an inconvenience that makes it hard to hear the TV or what someone 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?
At first glance, 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 suggests that over time, hospital visits can increase by up to 50% for somebody with neglected hearing loss. The possibility of severe health problems rises the longer hearing loss goes untreated.
That seems like a curious discovery: what does hearing have to do with your total health? That question can have a complicated answer.
The Connection Between Mental Health And Hearing
Untreated hearing loss has been associated with several other health issues, including:
- Loss of balance. Hearing loss can make it more difficult to keep your balance and keep your situational awareness.
- You begin to lose your memory. As a matter of fact, your odds of developing dementia is twice as high with untreated hearing loss.
- An increase in depression and anxiety. Basically, the likelihood of depression and anxiety rises with hearing loss and that will bring about health problems both physical and mental.
Hearing Aids Really Help
There’s some good news though. The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School research indicates that up to 75% of hearing loss related cognitive decline can be stopped in its tracks by one simple solution: using a hearing aid.
Wearing a hearing aid has a powerful impact on mitigating the dangers linked to untreated hearing loss. According to the study, people who wore hearing aids for just two weeks saw:
- Balance and awareness improvements.
- Severe brain injury reductions.
- Improvements in brain function.
The researchers from Johns Hopkins examined data from 77,000 patients accumulated over roughly two decades. And an essential part of maintaining your health lies in protecting your hearing which is a surprising outcome. Taking care of your hearing health also benefits your finances, because being sick costs money.
Preserving Your Hearing And Your Health
Hearing loss is a perfectly normal part of getting older, although it’s not exclusive to getting older. Hearing loss can occur at any age as a result of accidents, occupational hazards, or diseases.
However or whenever you lose your hearing, it’s very important to have it checked. Otherwise, your health could be negatively impacted.