If you’re not treating your symptoms properly, hearing loss can put you in the hospital. I know that sounds like an exaggeration. We usually consider hearing loss as little more than a hassle – something that makes the news a bit more difficult to hear or, at worst, makes you unwittingly agree to something you didn’t mean.
But the long-term health effects of neglected hearing loss is beginning to get significant attention from researchers.
How is Your Health Related to Hearing Loss?
Hearing loss doesn’t, at first sight, 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 reveals that over time, visits to the hospital can increase by as much as 50% for someone with neglected hearing loss. The chance of serious health issues goes up the longer hearing loss remains untreated.
That’s a puzzling finding: what does hearing have to do with your general health? That question can have a complicated answer.
The Connection Between Mental Health And Hearing
Untreated hearing loss has been linked to a number of other health issues, like:
- Higher instance of anxiety and depression. Basically, the chance of depression and anxiety increases with hearing loss and that will lead to health issues both physical and mental.
- Balance balance issues. Hearing loss can make it harder to keep your balance and keep your situational awareness.
- You start to lose your memory. In fact, your odds of developing dementia double with untreated hearing loss.
Hearing Aids Really Help
There’s some good news though. The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School research indicates that up to 75% of the mental decline connected to hearing loss can be stopped in its tracks by one simple solution: wearing a hearing aid.
Wearing a hearing aid has a profound impact on eliminating the risks associated with neglected hearing loss. According to the research, people who used hearing aids for only two weeks saw:
- Severe brain injury reductions.
- Awareness and balance improvements.
- Brain function improvements.
The team from Johns Hopkins examined data from 77,000 patients accumulated over roughly twenty years. And a crucial part of maintaining your health lies in safeguarding your hearing which is a surprising outcome. Being sick usually costs money, so caring for your hearing also safeguards your financial well being.
Caring For Your Health And Your Hearing
Hearing loss is a perfectly typical part of getting older, though it’s not exclusive to getting older. Hearing loss can occur at any age due to occupational hazards, accidents, or diseases.
However or whenever you lose your hearing, it’s extremely important to deal with it. Your health could depend on it.