If you’re not managing your symptoms correctly, hearing loss can put you in the hospital. You might think that this is a bit 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.
How is Your Health Related to Hearing Loss?
At first sight, hearing loss doesn’t appear to have that much to do with other health indicators. But research carried out by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health indicates that neglected hearing loss can lead to a 50% increase in hospital visits over time. The danger of severe health problems goes up the longer hearing loss remains untreated.
That’s a puzzling finding: how is your general state of health related to your ability to hear? The answer is challenging.
The Connection Between Mental Health And Hearing
Untreated hearing loss has been associated with several other health problems, including:
- Memory can start to fail. As a matter of fact, your odds of getting dementia is twice as high with neglected hearing loss.
- Loss of balance. Hearing loss can make it harder to keep your balance and maintain situational awareness.
- Higher instance of depression and anxiety. Simply stated, untreated hearing loss can increase anxiety and depression, which will then have a powerfully negative impact on your physical body, to say nothing of your mental health.
Hearing Aids: A Real Answer
There’s some good news though. The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School research suggests that up to 75% of the cognitive decline linked to hearing loss can be halted by one basic solution: wearing a hearing aid.
Wearing a hearing aid has a profound impact on mitigating the dangers connected to untreated hearing loss. According to the study, people who wore hearing aids for only two weeks saw:
- Severe brain injury reductions.
- Brain function improvements.
- Balance and awareness improvements.
Over a period of roughly two decades, Johns Hopkins accumulated and analyzed data from more than 77,000 individuals. And the conclusion is staggeringly simple: protecting your hearing is crucial to preserving your health. Being sick usually costs money, so caring for your hearing also safeguards your financial well being.
Preserving Your Hearing And Your Health
Hearing loss is a perfectly common part of the aging process, though it’s not exclusive to getting older. Because of accidents, occupational hazards, and disease, hearing loss can develop regardless of how old you are.
However or whenever you lose your hearing, it’s extremely important to address it. Your health could depend on it.