You can wind up in the hospital if you don’t properly manage your hearing loss symptoms. You may think that this is somewhat of an exaggeration. We’re used to thinking of hearing loss as little more than a hassle – something that makes the news a bit harder to hear or, at worst, makes you unwittingly agree to something you didn’t mean.
But the long-term health impacts of untreated hearing loss is beginning to get serious attention from researchers.
How is Your Health Related to Hearing Loss?
At first glance, 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 longer the hearing loss goes unmanaged, the more severe the health havoc get.
That’s a curious finding: what does hearing have to do with your general health? That question can have a complicated answer.
Hearing Health And Mental Health
Here are a few of the health problems linked to hearing loss:
- Loss of balance. Hearing loss can make it harder to keep your balance and maintain situational awareness.
- Higher instance of anxiety and depression. Simply stated, neglected hearing loss can increase depression and anxiety, which will then have a strong negative effect on your physical body, not to mention your mental health.
- Memory can start to fail. In fact, your odds of getting dementia is twice as high with neglected hearing loss.
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 cognitive decline linked to hearing loss can be halted by one easy solution: using a hearing aid.
Wearing a hearing aid has a profound impact on eliminating the risks associated with untreated hearing loss. According to the study, patients who used hearing aids for only two weeks saw:
- Improvements in awareness and balance.
- Traumatic brain injury reductions.
- Improvements in brain function.
The team from Johns Hopkins examined data from 77,000 patients accumulated over around two decades. And a crucial part of preserving your health lies in safeguarding your hearing which is a staggering conclusion. 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 not exclusive to the aging process but it is a part of it. Hearing loss can occur at any age because of accidents, occupational hazards, or diseases.
However or whenever you lose your hearing, it’s really important to have it checked. Your health could depend on it.