Your body is a lot like an ecosystem. In nature, all of the birds and fish will suffer if something goes wrong with the pond; and when the birds disappear so too do all of the animals and plants that rely on those birds. We may not realize it but our body functions on very similar principals. That’s why something that seems to be isolated, such as hearing loss, can be connected to a large number of other diseases and ailments.
This is, in a sense, evidence of the interdependence of your body and it’s resemblance to an ecosystem. When something affects your hearing, it might also impact your brain. We call these conditions comorbid, a name that is specialized and indicates when two conditions affect each other but don’t always have a cause and effect relationship.
We can discover a lot about our bodies’ ecosystem by comprehending conditions that are comorbid with hearing loss.
Hearing Loss And The Disorders That Are Associated With it
So, let’s suppose that you’ve been noticing the signs of hearing loss for the past couple of months. It’s more difficult to follow discussions in restaurants. The volume of your television is constantly getting louder. And some sounds sound so far away. At this stage, most people will schedule an appointment with a hearing specialist (this is the practical thing to do, actually).
Your hearing loss is linked to numerous health issues whether you recognize it or not. Comorbidity with hearing loss has been reported with the following health ailments.
- Depression: social isolation associated with hearing loss can cause a whole host of issues, many of which are related to your mental health. So it’s not surprising that study after study finds depression and anxiety have really high comorbidity rates with hearing loss.
- Vertigo and falls: your primary tool for balance is your inner ear. Vertigo and dizziness can be caused by some forms of hearing loss because they have a damaging influence on the inner ear. Falls are increasingly dangerous as you age and falls can happen whenever someone loses their balance
- Dementia: a higher chance of dementia has been linked to hearing loss, though it’s uncertain what the base cause is. Many of these cases of dementia and also cognitive decline can be slowed, according to research, by wearing hearing aids.
- Diabetes: likewise, diabetes can wreak havoc with your overall body’s nervous system (particularly in your extremities). the nerves in the ear are especially likely to be harmed. Hearing loss can be wholly caused by this damage. But diabetes-related nerve damage can also make you more prone to hearing loss caused by other issues, often adding to your symptoms.
- Cardiovascular disease: occasionally hearing loss has nothing to do with cardiovascular disease. In other situations, cardiovascular problems can make you more subject to hearing loss. That’s because one of the initial symptoms of cardiovascular disease is trauma to the blood vessels in the inner ear. As that trauma escalates, your hearing may suffer as an outcome.
What Can You Do?
It can seem a little scary when you add all those health conditions together. But it’s important to remember one thing: dealing with your hearing loss can have huge positive influences. Though scientists and researchers don’t exactly know, for example, why hearing loss and dementia show up together so often, they do know that dealing with hearing loss can dramatically lower your dementia risks.
So regardless of what your comorbid condition might be, the best course of action is to have your hearing examined.
Part of an Ecosystem
This is the reason why health care specialists are reconsidering the importance of how to treat hearing loss. Your ears are being regarded as a part of your total health profile instead of being a specific and limited issue. We’re starting to consider the body as an interconnected environment in other words. Hearing loss isn’t an isolated situation. So it’s more important than ever that we keep your eye on the entirety, not to the proverbial pond or the birds in isolation, but to your health as a whole.