If you’re not managing your symptoms properly, hearing loss can put you in the hospital. I know that sounds like an exaggeration. Most individuals think of hearing loss as an inconvenience that makes it hard to hear the TV or what someone is saying at worst
But the long-term health impacts of neglected hearing loss is beginning to get serious attention from researchers.
How is Your Health Linked to Hearing Loss?
Hearing loss doesn’t, at first sight, seem like it has much of a relationship with other health concerns. But research conducted by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health suggests that neglected hearing loss can result in a 50% increase in visits to the hospital over time. The longer the hearing loss goes untreated, the more severe the health havoc get.
That seems like a strange finding: how is your overall state of health related to your ability to hear? The answer is complicated.
Hearing Health And Mental Health
Here are a few of the health problems linked to hearing loss:
- You begin to lose your memory. As a matter of fact, your odds of getting dementia double with neglected hearing loss.
- Balance balance issues. Hearing loss can make it harder to keep your balance and maintain situational awareness.
- An increase in anxiety and depression. Simply stated, untreated hearing loss can increase anxiety and depression, which in turn can have a strong negative effect on your physical body, to say nothing of your mental health.
Hearing Aids Really Help
There’s some good news though. The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School research suggests that up to 75% of hearing loss related cognitive decline can be stopped in its tracks by one simple solution: wearing a hearing aid.
The health risks associated with hearing loss can be seriously reduced by wearing hearing aids. According to the study, individuals who used hearing aids for just two weeks saw:
- Improvements in brain function.
- Awareness and balance improvements.
- Reductions in severe brain injuries.
The researchers from Johns Hopkins examined data from 77,000 patients accumulated over roughly two decades. And the conclusion is staggeringly simple: safeguarding your hearing is essential to maintaining your health. Taking care of your hearing health also benefits your financial well-being, because being sick costs money.
Caring For Your Health And Your Hearing
Hearing loss is a perfectly normal part of the aging process, though it’s not exclusive to getting older. Hearing loss can develop at any age as a result of occupational hazards, accidents, or diseases.
However, it’s essential to address any hearing loss you might be noticing. Otherwise, your health could be negatively impacted.
