You can wind up in the hospital if you don’t properly manage your hearing loss symptoms. You might think that this is a bit of an exaggeration. We usually consider hearing loss as not much more than a hassle – something that makes the news a little harder to hear or, at worst, makes you unwittingly agree to something you didn’t mean.
But current research is ringing alarm bells about the long-term health effects of untreated hearing loss.
How is Your Health Related to Hearing Loss?
Hearing loss doesn’t, at first glance, seem as if it has very much of a link to other health concerns. But research carried out by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health suggests that neglected hearing loss can lead to a 50% increase in hospital visits over time. The danger of severe health issues rises the longer hearing loss remains untreated.
That seems like a strange discovery: how is your overall state of health associated with your ability to hear? That question can have a complicated answer.
Hearing Health And Mental Health
Untreated hearing loss has been connected with numerous other health problems, like:
- Loss of balance. Hearing loss can make it harder to keep your balance and maintain situational awareness.
- Higher instance of anxiety and depression. Basically, the likelihood of depression and anxiety rises with hearing loss and that will bring about health issues both physical and mental.
- Memory can begin failing. In fact, your odds of developing dementia is twice as high with neglected hearing loss.
Hearing Aids Really Help
There’s some good news though. The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School research reveals that up to 75% of the mental decline connected to hearing loss can be stopped in its tracks by one basic solution: using a hearing aid.
The health hazards associated with hearing loss can be significantly mitigated by using hearing aids. According to the research, people who used hearing aids for just two weeks saw:
- Traumatic brain injury reductions.
- Improvements in balance and awareness.
- Improvements in brain function.
The researchers from Johns Hopkins studied data from 77,000 patients accumulated over around twenty years. And the conclusion is surprisingly simple: safeguarding your hearing is crucial to preserving your health. Being sick can be costly, so taking care of your hearing also protects your financial well being.
Preserving Your Hearing And Your Health
Hearing loss is a perfectly common part of the aging process, although it’s not exclusive to aging. Due to accidents, disease, and occupational hazards, hearing loss can develop at any age.
However, it’s important to acknowledge any hearing loss you may be noticing. Your health could depend on it.