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. Most people think of hearing loss as an inconvenience that makes it tough to hear the TV or what someone is saying at worst.
But current research is ringing alarm bells about the long-term health effects of untreated hearing loss.
How is Your Health Related to Hearing Loss?
Hearing loss doesn’t, at first glance, seem as if it has much of a connection to other health concerns. But research carried out by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health indicates that untreated hearing loss can result in a 50% increase in visits to the hospital over time. The longer the hearing loss goes untreated, the more significant the health havoc becomes.
That seems like a strange discovery: how is your general state of health associated with your ability to hear? That question can have a complicated answer.
Hearing Health And Mental Health
Here are a number of the health issues linked to hearing loss:
- Balance balance issues. Hearing loss can make it more difficult to keep your balance and maintain situational focus.
- Higher instance of depression and anxiety. Simply stated, untreated hearing loss can increase depression and anxiety, which in turn can have a powerfully negative impact on your physical body, to say nothing of your mental health.
- Memory can begin failing. As a matter of fact, your odds of developing dementia is twice as high with neglected hearing loss.
Hearing Aids: A Real Solution
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 associated with hearing loss can be seriously reduced by using hearing aids. According to the study, patients who used hearing aids for just two weeks saw:
- Reductions in traumatic brain injuries.
- Improvements in brain function.
- Improvements in balance and awareness.
The researchers from Johns Hopkins studied data from 77,000 patients accumulated over around two decades. And a critical part of maintaining your health lies in safeguarding your hearing which is a staggering outcome. Being sick can be costly, so taking care of your hearing also protects your financial well being.
Caring For Your Health And Your Hearing
Hearing loss is a perfectly common part of getting older, although it’s not exclusive to aging. Hearing loss can develop at any age because of occupational hazards, accidents, or diseases.
However, it’s essential to acknowledge any hearing loss you may be noticing. Otherwise, your health could be negatively impacted.