You can wind up in the hospital if you don’t properly manage your hearing loss symptoms. I know that seems like an exaggeration. We usually consider hearing loss as little more than a hassle – something that makes the news a little harder to hear or, at worst, makes you unwittingly agree to something you didn’t mean.
But new research is causing alarm about the long-term health impacts of neglected hearing loss.
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 indicates that untreated hearing loss can result in a 50% increase in hospital visits over time. The longer the hearing loss remains unmanaged, the more severe the health troubles get.
That’s a puzzling finding: what does hearing have to do with your general health? That question can have a complicated answer.
The Connection Between Mental Health And Hearing
Untreated hearing loss has been linked to numerous other health issues, like:
- An increase in depression and anxiety. Basically, the chance of depression and anxiety rises with hearing loss and that will bring about health issues both physical and mental.
- Loss of balance. Hearing loss can make it more difficult to keep your balance and maintain situational awareness.
- Memory can start to fail. As a matter of fact, your odds of getting dementia double with untreated hearing loss.
Hearing Aids: A Real Answer
There’s some good news though. The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School research indicates that up to 75% of hearing loss associated cognitive decline can be halted by one basic solution: wearing a hearing aid.
The health risks associated with hearing loss can be seriously mitigated by using hearing aids. According to the research, people who used hearing aids for only two weeks saw:
- Improvements in awareness and balance.
- Brain function improvements.
- Severe brain injury reductions.
Over a period of around two decades, Johns Hopkins accumulated and analyzed data from over 77,000 people. And what they found is staggeringly simple: protecting your hearing is essential to maintaining your health. Being sick can be costly, so caring for your hearing also safeguards your financial well being.
Caring For Your Health And Your Hearing
Hearing loss is a perfectly typical part of getting older, although it’s not exclusive to aging. Because of accidents, disease, and occupational hazards, hearing loss can happen at any age.
However, it’s essential to address any hearing loss you may be noticing. Your health could depend on it.
