If you’re not treating your symptoms properly, hearing loss can hospitalize you. I know that seems like an exaggeration. We’re used to thinking of hearing loss as not much more than an inconvenience – something that makes the news a little harder to hear or, at worst, makes you unknowingly agree to something you didn’t mean.
But current research is causing alarm over the long-term health impacts of untreated hearing loss.
How is Your Health Linked to Hearing Loss?
Hearing loss doesn’t, at first glance, seem like it has much of a link to other health concerns. But research conducted by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health suggests that over time, hospital visits can increase by as much as 50% for somebody with neglected hearing loss. The danger of severe health issues rises the longer hearing loss remains untreated.
That’s a curious finding: what does hearing have to do with your total health? That question can have a complicated answer.
Hearing Health And Mental Health
Untreated hearing loss has been linked to a number of other health issues, like:
- Loss of balance. Hearing loss can make it harder to keep your balance and maintain situational awareness.
- You begin to lose your memory. In fact, your odds of getting dementia double with neglected hearing loss.
- An increase in depression and anxiety. Basically, the chance of anxiety and depression increases with hearing loss and that will lead to health issues both physical and mental.
Hearing Aids Really Help
There’s some good news though. The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School research reveals that up to 75% of hearing loss associated cognitive decline can be stopped in its tracks by one easy solution: wearing a hearing aid.
The health hazards linked to hearing loss can be significantly reduced by using hearing aids. According to the study, patients who wore hearing aids for only two weeks saw:
- Brain function improvements.
- Improvements in awareness and balance.
- Severe brain injury reductions.
The researchers from Johns Hopkins examined data from 77,000 patients accumulated over around two decades. And what they found is surprisingly simple: safeguarding your hearing is essential to maintaining your health. 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 a perfectly common part of getting older, though it’s not exclusive to aging. Hearing loss can occur at any age as a result of occupational hazards, accidents, or diseases.
However or whenever you lose your hearing, it’s very important to deal with it. Your health could depend on it.