As we age, loss of hearing is normally thought to be an inescapable fact of life. Many older Americans suffer from some form of hearing loss or tinnitus, which is a constant ringing in the ears. But if it’s such an accepted condition, why do so many people won’t admit that they deal with hearing loss?
A new study from Canada posits that more than 50 percent of all middle aged or older Canadians cope with some kind of hearing loss, but that 77% of those individuals don’t report any problems. Some form of hearing loss is experienced by more than 48 million Americans and untreated. Whether this denial is deliberate or not is debatable, but it’s still true that a considerable number of people allow their loss of hearing to go unchecked – which, down the road, could cause considerable problems.
Why do Some Individuals Not Recognize They Have Loss of Hearing?
It’s a tricky question. Loss of hearing is a gradual process, and some people may not even recognize that they have a harder time hearing things or comprehending people than they once did. A lot of times they blame everyone else around them – they think that everyone is mumbling, the TV volume is too low, or background noise is too high. There are, unfortunately, numerous things that hearing loss can be blamed on, and getting a hearing test or getting checked out, normally, is not a person’s first reaction.
It also happens that some individuals just won’t admit that they have hearing loss. Another study conducted in the United States shows that many seniors who have hearing problems flat out deny it. They do everything they can to cover up their problem, either they recognize a stigma surrounding hearing loss or because they don’t like to admit to having a problem.
The concern is, you may be negatively impacting your overall health by neglecting your hearing loss.
Untreated Hearing Loss Can Have a Debilitating Affect
It’s not just your ears that are affected by loss of hearing – it has been connected to various conditions like anxiety, cognitive decline, and depression, and it can also be a sign of high blood pressure and heart disease.
Research has demonstrated that people suffering from hearing loss generally have shorter life expectancy rates and their level of health is not as strong as people who have treated their hearing loss using hearing aids, dietary changes, or cognitive behavioral treatment.
It’s important to recognize the signs of hearing loss – difficulty having conversations, turning up the volume on the radio or TV, or a chronic humming or ringing in your ears.
What Can be Done About Loss of Hearing?
You can control your hearing loss with a number of treatment options. Hearing aids are the most common form of treatment, and hearing aid tech has developed by leaps and bounds over the last few years so it’s not likely you’ll encounter the same issues your grandparents or parents did. Modern hearing aids come with Bluetooth functionality so they can connect wirelessly to your phone or TV and they have the ability to filter out background noise and wing.
A dietary changes could affect your hearing health if you have anemia. Since anemia iron deficiency has been revealed to cause hearing loss, people who have tinnitus can be helped by eating foods that are rich in iron.
The foremost thing you can do, however, is to get your hearing examined on a regular basis.
Are you worried you could have hearing troubles? Come in and get checked.