You can end up in the hospital if you don’t correctly manage your hearing loss symptoms. You may think that this is somewhat of an exaggeration. Most individuals think of hearing loss as an inconvenience that makes it tough 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 significant attention from researchers.
What Does Hearing Loss Have to do With Your Health?
At first glance, hearing loss doesn’t seem to have much to do with other health indicators. But research conducted by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health indicates that over time, visits to the hospital can increase by up to 50% for someone with neglected hearing loss. The longer the hearing loss goes untreated, the more severe the health troubles becomes.
That seems like a curious discovery: how is your general state of health related to your ability to hear? That question can have a complicated answer.
Hearing Health And Mental Health
Here are a number of the health problems associated with hearing loss:
- You begin to lose your memory. In fact, your odds of getting dementia is twice as high with untreated hearing loss.
- Higher instance of depression and anxiety. Basically, the likelihood of anxiety and depression increases with hearing loss and that will bring about health issues both physical and mental.
- Balance balance issues. Hearing loss can make it harder to keep your balance and keep your situational focus.
Hearing Aids: A Real Solution
There’s some good news though. The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School research suggests that up to 75% of the mental decline associated with hearing loss can be stopped in its tracks by one basic solution: using a hearing aid.
Wearing a hearing aid has a powerful impact on mitigating the dangers associated with untreated hearing loss. The following improvements were noted in individuals who wore hearing aids for as little as two weeks:
- Improvements in awareness and balance.
- Brain function improvements.
- Reductions in traumatic brain injuries.
Over a period of roughly two decades, Johns Hopkins accumulated and analyzed data from over 77,000 people. And what they found is surprisingly simple: safeguarding your hearing is essential to preserving your health. Taking care of your hearing health also benefits your finances, because being sick can be expensive.
Caring For Your Health And Your Hearing
Hearing loss is not exclusive to getting older but it is a part of it. Due to accidents, disease, and occupational hazards, hearing loss can occur regardless of how old you are.
However, it’s important to acknowledge any hearing loss you may be experiencing. Otherwise, your health could be negatively impacted.