You can wind up in the hospital if you don’t properly manage your hearing loss symptoms. I know that sounds like an exaggeration. Most individuals 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 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 much to do with other health indicators. But research conducted by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health suggests that untreated hearing loss can result in a 50% increase in visits to the hospital over time. The risk of serious health problems goes up the longer hearing loss goes untreated.
That’s a curious finding: how is your overall state of health linked to your ability to hear? That question can have a complicated answer.
The Connection Between Mental Health And Hearing
Here are a few of the health issues connected to hearing loss:
- Loss of balance. Hearing loss can make it more difficult to keep your balance and maintain situational awareness.
- Memory can start to fail. In fact, your odds of getting dementia double with neglected hearing loss.
- An increase in anxiety and depression. Simply put, untreated hearing loss can increase depression and anxiety, which in turn can have a powerfully negative effect on your physical body, to say nothing of your mental health.
Hearing Aids Really Help
It’s not all doom and gloom, however. Far from it. The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School research indicates that up to 75% of the mental decline associated with hearing loss can be halted by one easy solution: using a hearing aid.
The health hazards associated with hearing loss can be significantly reduced by using hearing aids. According to the study, people who wore hearing aids for just two weeks saw:
- Brain function improvements.
- Traumatic brain injury reductions.
- Balance and awareness improvements.
Over a period of about two decades, Johns Hopkins collected and analyzed data from over 77,000 individuals. And a critical part of maintaining your health lies in safeguarding your hearing which is a staggering 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 typical part of the aging process, although it’s not exclusive to getting older. Hearing loss can happen at any age as a result of occupational hazards, accidents, or diseases.
However or whenever you lose your hearing, it’s very important to have it checked. Otherwise, your health could be negatively impacted.