If you’re not treating your symptoms correctly, hearing loss can hospitalize you. 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 new research is ringing alarm bells over the long-term health impacts of neglected hearing loss.
What Does Hearing Loss Have to do With Your Health?
Hearing loss doesn’t, at first glance, seem as if it has very much of a link to other health concerns. But research conducted by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health indicates that neglected hearing loss can result in a 50% increase in hospital visits over time. The chance of severe health problems goes up the longer hearing loss goes untreated.
That seems like a strange discovery: what does hearing have to do with your overall health? The answer is challenging.
Hearing Health And Mental Health
Untreated hearing loss has been linked to a number of other health issues, like:
- Higher instance of depression and anxiety. Simply put, untreated hearing loss can increase anxiety and depression, which in turn can have a powerfully negative effect on your physical body, not to mention your mental health.
- Memory can begin failing. In fact, your odds of getting dementia double with neglected hearing loss.
- Balance balance issues. Hearing loss can make it more difficult to keep your balance and maintain situational awareness.
Hearing Aids: A Real Answer
There’s some good news though. The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School research indicates that up to 75% of hearing loss related mental decline can be stopped in its tracks by one easy solution: wearing a hearing aid.
Wearing a hearing aid has a profound impact on mitigating the risks associated with untreated hearing loss. The following improvements were revealed in people who wore hearing aids for as little as two weeks:
- Improvements in brain function.
- Reductions in traumatic brain injuries.
- Awareness and balance improvements.
Over a period of roughly two decades, Johns Hopkins collected and examined data from over 77,000 individuals. And an essential part of maintaining your health lies in safeguarding your hearing which is a surprising conclusion. Being sick can be costly, so taking care of your hearing also safeguards your financial well being.
Preserving Your Hearing And Your Health
Hearing loss is a perfectly typical part of getting older, though it’s not exclusive to getting older. Hearing loss can develop at any age due to accidents, occupational hazards, or diseases.
However or whenever you lose your hearing, it’s really important to have it checked. Otherwise, your health could be negatively impacted.